Bickham Script Font problems

[Pauline Tuan]

I am hoping that someone can help me out with a quick question on the Bickham
Script Swash Capitals which I'm using for the first letter of names on an invitation. I am using the Bickham Swash Cap on the first initial and the Bickham Script font for the rest of the letters in the name. I've noticed that there is a big discrepancy in sizes
between the Bickham Swash Capital and the regular Bickham Script. When I use point 14 for the Bickham Swash Capital, the rest of the name (in Bickham
Script)is really small.

Can anyone tell me if you are supposed to use different font points for Swash Capital and Bickham Script? If so,
what points did you use for each? For example, maybe 16 point for Swash Capital and 28 point for Bickham
Script?

Any guidance and advice would be so
greatly appreciated!

[Pauline Tuan]

Terry,

Thanks for the reply. My confusion is that the regular script and the Swash Cap script are both in the same family. Shouldn't the font sizes be consistent especially since the Swash Cap and regular script are used in the same word (name)?

Are you familiar with the Bickham script fonts? If so, can you give me your expert recommendation as to what you typically do or recommend? Again, I'm strictly a layperson and just really need some help. Thanks!

[Terry Rogers]

Pauline,
Over many years of typesetting I have found that most script fonts are "smaller" than their counterparts (say a roman face) of the same size. If the two font sizes look nice to you, go ahead and use them. Just remember, script faces in small doses!
Terry

[Bob Levine]

I wouldn't worry about the point size. Just use what looks good.

Bob

[Neil Keller]

Pauline,

One of the beautiful things (to me) about Bickham is that the swash characters are so big in relation to the regular characters, particularly the lower case. Emphasis is on the decorative swashes, as you will discover if you print out all of the glyphs. And swashes in scripts -- in calligraphy -- can really be large in relationship to the running text.

The problem with mixing sizes (such as 12 pt swash initial with 16 pt regular running text) is that the fine penstrokes will not match weight. The swash cap then has noticeably thinner thin stokes than the running text -- a noticeable oddity -- and the letters will just look kludged together. A part of the grace and charm is gone.

Take a look at fine calligraphy and engraved text, particularly that done in the 18th or 19th centuries, and you'll see what I mean about how the swashes work.

Neil

[Pauline Tuan]

Neil,

I see what you mean. Actually, that was exactly my concern when I readjusted the font sizes. It seemed like the thickness of the lines do change significantly. I love the swash characters but they do make the rest of the names look so small on the invite. Any suggestions? Maybe my only other choice is a different font. My next choice is the Edwardian script except I like the Bickham swash so much more.

Pauline

[Don McCahill]

Pauline

You could possibly cut back some of the impact of the large swashes by running them with a screen, perhaps 60%, if you find they overwelm the text.

As Neil has mentioned, the x-height on scripts is often very small, and for that reason you often have to use them in a size that feels too large, like 16pt for what should be small text. Ignore the size numbers and run with what looks right. Script printed too small is hard to read.

[Neil Keller]

You might try to use a separate, greyed down swash placed under or partially under a regular initial and the adjacent lines of text to give a swash effect. But swashes used full-tilt in text force you to use use generous leading. And yes, even 16 pt type can look small for scripts. Remember, point size is based upon the way foundry type was created -- with a physical "body" -- and that body (which determines point size) must be large enough to support the height of the ascenders plus the depth of the descenders, and it often has little relationship to the x-height.

Neil