The Project Gutenberg EBook of Capitals, by Frederick W. Hamilton

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Title: Capitals
A Primer of Information about Capitalization with some
Practical Typographic Hints as to the Use of Capitals

Author: Frederick W. Hamilton

Release Date: January 15, 2007 [EBook #20374]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

1. Some examples does not make much sense in this text version (e.g.,
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TYPOGRAPHIC TECHNICAL SERIES FOR APPRENTICES--PART VI, NO. 34

CAPITALS

A PRIMER _of_ INFORMATION ABOUT
CAPITALIZATION WITH SOME PRACTICAL
TYPOGRAPHIC HINTS AS TO
THE USE OF CAPITALS

BY

FREDERICK W. HAMILTON, LL.D.

EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR
UNITED TYPOTHETAE OF AMERICA

PUBLISHED BY THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
UNITED TYPOTHETAE OF AMERICA
1918

COPYRIGHT, 1918
UNITED TYPOTHETAE OF AMERICA
CHICAGO, ILL.

CONTENTS

PAGE
INTRODUCTION 1

USE OF FULL CAPITALS 4

SMALL CAPITALS 17

SUGGESTIONS AS TO TYPOGRAPHIC USE OF CAPITALS 22

CAPITALS

INTRODUCTION

A capital letter is a letter of formal shape. Capitals were originally
derived from the stiff and angular letters used in formal inscriptions.
Originally all writing was done in capitals. Later the scribes devised
less formal shapes for the letters, making use of lines more easily made
by brush or pen on papyrus, parchment, or paper. The capitals were
retained for certain uses but the less formal shapes were employed to do
the greater part of the work. These less formal letters have been known
by several names. They will be referred to here by that under which they