Trailblazer of Modern Lettering

The enduring legacy of Mortimer Leach

Loads of artists helped shape the development of 20th-century commercial lettering, but few left a mark as far-reaching as Mortimer Leach. One of America’s prominent letterers, Leach hand-drew meticulously styled advertising headlines for national brands like Carnation, Chevrolet, and countless others from the 1930s to the early ‘70s.

From Leach’s landmark instruction book, Lettering for Advertising

His influential textbook, Lettering for Advertising (1956), was one of the first how-to guides to offer detailed, practical instruction on contemporary lettering techniques. In Letter Design in the Graphic Arts (1960), Leach explores methods for interpreting foundational typographic genres as the basis for hand-lettered styles, and showcases the work of other leading professionals.

The artist’s inked lettering and its final application

Leach’s books were informed by his years as an instructor at ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles, where he helped launch the careers of other important letterers like Rick Cusick and Doyald Young. Today, Leach’s influence lives on through the work of his students, who passed the torch to an entirely new generation of artists.

Like countless others, I am indebted to Mortimer Leach and his continuing legacy for informing my own approach to lettering instruction. If you’re interested in learning more and gaining practical hands-on skills, check out my workshop recordings, and sign up for my newsletter to get more lettering nerdery like this!

Happy lettering!
Ken