Best font for hand carving letters?

[Co1]

I’m building some oak garage doors, and I’d like to engrave the house name on them. I’ve never carved before (I will practice on scrap first!!). Any thought on which fonts lend themselves to carving by hand?

Thanks
Col

 

[mwinfrance]

Almost anything with a serif. easier to do the "corners " if they have a serif " the little foot" .
Pay attention to kerning.
https://xkcd.com/1015/

Bad kerning drives sign writers, typographers , designers wild...makes our teeth and eyeballs itch.

 

[niall Y]

By its very nature, the Roman font developed from being carved on stone, and lends itself well to being carved in wood. I believe Trajans Column supplied the model for many of the Roman fonts, used today, though by its very nature, it doesn't contain all the letters we use now.

 

[Co1]

I’m building some oak garage doors, and I’d like to engrave the house name on them. I’ve never carved before (I will practice on scrap first!!). Any thought on which fonts lend themselves to carving by hand?

Thanks
Col

New word learned today!!

 

[Jacob]

Nice site here. I keep meaning to have a go.
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2006/11/01/the-abcs-of-letter-carving

Roman best and looks classy. Many variations.

 

[Eshmiel]

I’m building some oak garage doors, and I’d like to engrave the house name on them. I’ve never carved before (I will practice on scrap first!!). Any thought on which fonts lend themselves to carving by hand?

Thanks
Col

Don't know which fonts are better or worse for carving but these video playlist from Chris Pye might help: how to carve Gothic and how to carve Celtic lettering. Ignore the "Won't play" messages and just go to the YouTube website via the link provided on the message screens. (I use Duckduckgo player but it won't play these vids as it excludes there short embedded adverts).

 

[mwinfrance]

ps..upon reflection, as you are a beginner..Do the lettering on a board and fix the board to the doors.Direct on the the doors is going to be a right S.O.B ( the grain on the doors is unlikely to be helpful ) .Even an experienced carver would rather work on a board than direct onto doors. Your doors ? ..any errors or slip ups could get horribly expensive very fast..Oak is not the best wood to start on, it is nice, but hard, and all oak is not the same. Your tools will need to be kept ultra sharp to stay precise.Jacob will "explain" sharpening to you.

pps ..Eshmiel.. I posted about ytdownloader in one of your other threads.If I were the OP just beginning carving .I'd download those , watch them many times, practice for a year or so minimum, three years is better.Then think about carving directly into oak doors ( the horror, they may even be in situ, vertical ! ), and then do it on a board and fix the board to the doors if it was at all possible.