T he first letter of a Gothic text is usually enlarged. There are three ways to attach it to the text: no indent, partial indent, complete indent.
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| No indent |
1. Line up the capital to the left edge of the text without indenting it. The scribe has tagged the next letter with a dash of red after I, left, because it is as tall as three small letters. P, right, is closer to the text letter's size.
2. Indent part of the capital, letting some of its left half hang into the margin. E and P, right.
3. Completely sink the capital into the text, leaving its left edge flush with the text. N, left, and S, below.
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| Complete indent. |
The illustrations here are from 50 Medieval Manuscript Leaves, used with the kind permission of photographer David Bindle. The book is a treasure house of beautiful and instructive examples, well worth its price.
http://www.blurb.com/b/2272528-50-medieval-manuscript-leaves
Beautiful! Shame the ebook is only for Apple and the print is so expensive - this is gorgeous photography and beautiful letters. Thank you so much for sharing this one.
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