Become A Letterer

Posted by Art Junkie

January 28, 2008

Attention to those who are drawn to the written and printed art—this is a call to letterers, more commonly known as printers. The printing industry is in need of letterers to set type for newspapers, magazines, books, and brochures. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the print industry is a large one, but made up mostly of small companies. 7 out of 10 companies often employ fewer than 10 letterers at a time. That means you’ve got competition. A secondary education will enhance your chances for getting a good shot at the job. It’s a good thing art schools offer accredited programs for lettering in which you can earn a certificate, associate, or bachelor’s degree. There are currently 9 art schools nationwide that offer art education in lettering.

A letterer, or one who creates symbols or character either by hand or computer, is essential to the industry of print production. The art of print production includes lithography, flexography, gravure, screen printing, and letterpress. Jobs in flexography and digital printing are aimed to have the highest growth rate because of the economy’s continued reliance on computer-based technology. BLS reports the average weekly earnings for production workers in the printing industry were $604 in 2004. That’s an average of over $30,000 a year! Now let’s put that artistic energy to use. Search your local art schools for help in advancing your chances for success in this exciting job opportunity.

Sources:
Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lettering
BLS http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs050.htm
ArtSchool.com http://www.artschool.com
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lettering

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