The scales of the AMES guide explained

There are arcs that pass over every third hole. If you skip this hole when drawing lines, you get spaces in the labeled ratios of 2:3 or 3:5; a small space for the minim height followed by a larger interlinear space. If you use this optional hole, the interlinear space will contain a guideline that can be used for your ascenders and descenders.

How to determine line spacing for your script

pick a script from a calligraphy book or period source. determine the minim height of the selected script in nib widths - most calligraphy books note this for each script. determine the ratio of minim height to interlinear space you want to use - most books don't note this information.

If you have an example of the script you are using, measure it.

Otherwise I would recommend starting with a ratio of 1:2, 3:5, or 2:3.

select a nib & draw a minim height reference.

measure this reference with the AMES guide.

From the left: 1:1 scale at setting 9; 3:5 scale at setting 7.5; and 2/3 scale at setting 6.5. All against the same reference.

Once you've measured the minim height reference, it's time to draw some guidelines and practice your chosen script with them. Don't be afraid to make adjustments as you practice. A script can look very different when penned at 3 nib widths high vs. 5, with longer or shorter ascenders and descenders, or with more or less interlinear space. Try several variations to find a combination that works for you. Remember to note the settings you used so you can repeat them.

Guideline & text spacing examples





1:1 - Here's an example of a gothic script penned at 1:1 ratio - the minim height and interlinear space are the same height. With gothic scripts, my diamonds at the top and bottom of minim strokes sit on the guideline as I show in my - Here's an example of a gothic script penned at 1:1 ratio - the minim height and interlinear space are the same height. With gothic scripts, my diamonds at the top and bottom of minim strokes sit on the guideline as I show in my gothic ductus article. For other hands, the tops and bottoms of my minim height strokes just touch the guidelines. Use whichever method works best for you and the script you are using.





1:3 - I used a 1:3 ratio for - I used a 1:3 ratio for Sylvia and Ane's Baronial Investiture scroll. Note the tick marks by every fourth space to remind me where the letters go. You can also see how I used the guidelines within the interlinear space to keep the height of my ascenders and descenders (fairly) consistent.

Lining with a ruler

Both sides done.





Carefully line the ruler up against the marks you made, drawing a horizontal line connecting each pair.





Lines being added.

Lines complete. Even being careful, some of the 1/8" spaces for the minims are slightly different heights, and the last

space for minims is a little lower on the right side than the left.





Using a T-square & drafting board

it insures the edges of the paper are square to the edges of the board; by having the paper exactly 1 inch from the edges, I can use my ruled T-square to easily measure for margins or other lines.

Drawing guidelines with the AMES lettering guide

Before you use the AMES guide to draw lines, it's helpful to understand it and what it can do.The AMES guide is made of two parts: the body and the disk. The bottom of the body is flat so it can be placed against a ruler and slid side to side. The disk has 4 series of holes in it in different scales. By inserting a the tip of a pencil in a hole and sliding the guide against the ruler, a horizontal line is drawn. If you draw a line using each hole of a scale without moving the ruler, you get a series of parallel lines.The orientation of the disk determines the vertical spacing of the holes. Here you can see the 1:1 scale drawn out at three different rotations. The numbers refer to the position of the disk. The smaller the number, the closer the lines are together.There are five scales on the AMES guide. There's a set of non-adjustable 1/8" spaced holes on the body, and four scales in the rotating disk. The 3:5, 1:1 (unlabeled), and 2:3 scales on the disk are the ones I use and am going to write about.The 1:1 scale draws evenly spaced lines. You can use the spaces from these lines for any ratio of minim height to interlinear space for your text.The 2:3 and 3:5 scales on the guide create staggered spaces. There are two ways of using them:Here's the AMES guide 2:3 scale with the spaces labeled and the optional hole identified. The 3:5 scale works the same way.Here is what all three scales look like drawn out on paper. The 3:5 and 2:3 scales are drawn with the optional line in the right half of their examples.Before drawing guidelines for your text, you need to know how far apart they need to be. There's a bit of an art to choosing the correct height and ratio for your guidelines.For an in depth exploration of steps 1 – 3, see my article on copying a period hand . If you are working from a calligraphy book for your script, the minim height needed in step 2 should be provided for you.My quick recommendation for step 3 is to start with a ratio of 1:2. It should work for most scripts. If the white space between lines seems too much after practicing with it, try again with 3:5. If there's still too much white space, try 2:3. If you want your lines closer together than that, try 1:1. If the lines are too cramped with 1:2, try 1:3 instead.If you have an example of text in the script you are using, step 3 is performed by measuring the height of the short letters (a, c, e, i, etc.) and comparing that height to that of the space between lines of text. You want to break it down into a ratio of whole numbers: 1:2, 1:3, 2:3, 3:5, etc. Ratios of 1:x, 2:3 and 3:5 are very simple to do with the AMES guide. Ratios of 2:5, 3:4 are harder, but still possible.If you are still having a hard time choosing what ratio and scale to use, see the examples in the next section of this article.To create the minim height reference, draw stacked horizontal lines with the widest stroke possible from your nib. The number of lines you draw depends on the script you've chosen and what it calls for. Here's an example of a 4 nib-width reference being drawn with a Hiro Rond #5 nib.In step 3, you determined the ratio of minim height to interlinear space your script needs. This determines the scale on the AMES guide you will use to measure your nib-width height reference. Ratios of 3:5 and 2:3 have dedicated scales on the AMES guide. All other ratios would use the 1:1 scale.Place the guide on top of the reference, keeping the bottom of the guide body horizontal. Turn the disk until the top and bottom edges of the reference strokes are centered within 2 holes of youron the guide. If you are using the 3:5 or 2:3 scale, make sure to use the top two holes of the scale to measure.On the bottom of the disk there are numbers from 2 to 10. This numerical setting is useful for record keeping so you can reproduce a size of guideline that works for you. The numbers indicate how many 32nds of an inch there are between 3 holes in the 1:1 scale, in case you are interested.The reason you need to choose the scale to usemeasuring is because the spacing of the holes in each scale on the guide is not the same. This 4 nib width reference is a 9 on the 1:1 scale, a 7.5 on the 3:5 scale, and a 6.5 on the 2:3 scale.For some examples below I've noted the numerical AMES guide setting and scale I used make the guidelines, as well as the nib I used to practice the script. I do this when practicing any script so I can easily reproduce it.- This is still the 1:1 scale on the AMES guide, but the interlinear space is twice the height of the minim space to make a final ratio of 1:2.- This example shows how multiple spaces can be used for both the minim height and interlinear space to create any ratio you need. The final ratio is 3:4. The #1 nib I used is about 3mm wide. I generally only use this method for larger text, as it can be tedious and eye-strain inducing at smaller settings.- These guidelines were drawn with the 3:5 scale on the AMES guide. I included the optional ascender/descender guideline. On the left I added x's to mark the minim space and arcs to mimic those on the AMES guide.Even with my experience, it sometimes takes me practicing a script for a project with a few different nibs & sets of guidelines before I find the combination that works for me. I plan no writing more in the future about making adjustments and fitting text into a specific space.Don't be afraid to practice at different sizes and scales. It's the only way to really see the differences for yourself, and to be able to decide which combination looks best for your calligraphy. Also, a little extra practice is never a bad thing...If you don't have an AMES guide, it's quite possible to line a page with just a ruler and pencil. There are many scribes who only use this method. It is also a useful skill to know for when you have to work somewhere and all you have is a ruler. Be careful if you use this method, as it's possible to end up with lines that aren't square to each other. Your letter height guidelines will also probably not be as consistent as with an AMES guide. Finally, it takes alonger to do.First, you'll need to measure a nib-width minim height reference. This 4 nib-width reference is about 1/8".Next, figure out where on the ruler you'll need to make marks for your chosen ratio of minim height to interlinear space. For a 1:2 ratio you can either make marks 1/8" followed by 1/4" repeating. Your text would be placed in the shorter space. You could also make marks every 1/8" and place your text every third space. A 2:3 ratio would need marks every 1/8" followed by 3/16", repeating.To draw the guidelines, start by setting your ruler parallel to and near the left edge of the paper, with 0" lined up with top edge. Make marks according to your chosen ratio. I'm going to make marks for a 2:3 ratio, 1/8" followed by 3/16", etc. Be as accurate as possible in their placement, or your guidelines won't be parallel.Repeat the process near the right side of the paper. Make sure that the ruler is lined up at the top of the page and you start your marks at the same location.The T-square allows you to quickly draw lines that are perpendicular to the edge of the drafting board it is placed against. This means you only need to measure and mark the paper once.A drafting board is anything you can tape your paper to and has straight edges to use the T-Square against. Purpose-built drafting boards are expensive. I use cut down pieces of MDF from the home improvement store.The first step in using the drafting board is to tape the paper to the surface. To make this easier, I've penciled lines one inch in from the edge of the board. When I place the paper onto the board I line up the top and left edges with these 1" margins before I tape it down. This does two things for me:Once the paper is lined up, I carefully tape the corners down with drafting tape. Test your tape with your paper ahead of time. It's fairly easy to tear the surface of the paper when you remove the tape. You can wear out some of the glue by sticking the tape to your fingers or drafting board before sticking it to the paper.You can then use a T-square to make your guidelines. This is faster than with a ruler, and should insure your lines are parallel to one another. Start by making reference lines down one side of the paper.Then align the T-square with those marks to draw your lines. You still have to be careful about keeping them spaced correctly, but they should at least be parallel if the T-square is held firmly against the side of the drafting board.I specify the use of a T-square and drafting board in my instructions. You can use the AMES guide with a ruler instead; it just takes more time to adjust the ruler so it is horizontal in step 1, and to line up the hole with the previous line in step 4.During this process, resharpen your pencil as needed to keep the lines thin and crisp. My example photos continue to use a normal mechanical pencil so the guidelines are easier to see.Rest the bottom of the AMES guide against your T-Square, and place the top hole of the scale you are using where you want your first guideline to be.