Defining Gregg Stroke Sizes by Range, Not Static Size
It is better to define the characters in terms of RANGE instead of STATIC SIZE. One must set a threshold, a limit for the possible range.
The 3 major sizes in Gregg
- Small *: S, O, U, E, T, SH, Th, This, P, FK, R, N
- Big: CH, D, A, TN-ND, B, V, J, L, M, Dt
- Full size: B, V, J, MN, DD, DIV/PENT, TM
The range rule
Instead of saying:
Small is 1/3, Big is 2/3, and Full is 3/3
It is better to define the sizes in terms of range. When writing at speed, the size of characters easily becomes distorted. Thus:
| Size |
Definition |
| Small |
Less than 1/2 |
| Big |
More than 1/2 |
| Full |
The stroke touches both the top and bottom of the line (i.e., it occupies the full width) |
This also makes reading far easier.
* Yes, I have grouped strokes such as P, Th, O etc., which have progressively smaller sizes.
Why: Keep It Stupid Simple
- Speed comes from automation.
- Automation means dumping the work of the mind onto the hand as much as possible.
- If the representation in the mind is complicated, hesitation shows in the hands.
I am only advocating keeping this mental framework so that you do not confuse the major stroke pairs (P/B, T/D, etc.).
The smaller strokes like O, E, S etc. must be understood to be in the Small category. It is true that these have a smaller size than others in the category, like P, Th, etc. That must be seen as part of the stroke itself.
Analogy
You know that the T stroke is a slant line, and that the K stroke has a bump at the end. Similarly, the smaller size of S is also a characteristic of the stroke, and must not be seen as a sizing rule.