Capital Improvements: Using Initial Caps to Improve Your Designs

It’s been said that history is our best teacher. It’s hard to believe that whoever first uttered those words had custom media on the brain. But they might as well have.

One of the most effective and time-honored tools in a designer’s repertoire is the drop or initial cap. First used in ancient, illuminated manuscripts, it’s a tactic nearly as old as typography itself. And it’s still being used today—to great effect.

A smartly used drop, or initial, cap can punch up a droll design, marry creative art with a story’s deeper meaning, and serve as an entry point that draws eyes to the page while providing balance to layouts, among other uses.

Want to make your own designs more effective? Consider these four simple concepts: 

Use Capitals to Illustrate Themes

• See how the heavy “I” pushes down on the word “stress?” The effect illustrates the theme of stress in schools.

• The drop cap also performs the secondary function of uniting text and headline, producing an interesting interplay of white space with illustration.

• The initial drop cap “O” doubles as an image of the sun. The image, with rays in lieu of a traditional circle around the letter, relates to the word “Climate” in the headline and carries that theme into the story.

The Illustrative Use of Capitals

• Notice in this layout featuring an interview with Hugh Laurie, star of the television series House, how the designer symbolizes the title character’s rebel motorcycle persona by combining the black “O” in the headline “House Call” with the drop cap “O” at the outset of the lead sentence.

• The reader is asked to make a subtle connection between the two black “O” letters and the motorcycle featured on the opening spread.

• In this layout featuring tennis star Andre Agassi, the initial capital “O”—in this case, the missing “O”—is symbolic of the athlete’s recent retirement. Something that was once such a big part of Agassi’s life—competitive tennis—is no longer. The article details other interests Agassi pursues to fill that void.

Achieve Balance With a Capital Letter

• In this instance, the capital “T” in the headline picks up colors from the vertical bars on left side of the page, elegantly balancing the heavy image of the boxing gloves and establishing a color theme used throughout the larger article.

• Here, the capital “E” enhances the graphic use of spot art on the right and balances out what might otherwise be a type-heavy layout. Color ghosting—the effect of the “E” behind the text—allows the designer to use exceptionally large capital letters to enhance the design.

• In this example, the drop cap “O” serves a dual purpose: it leads into the story, and acts as part of the semi-colon in the design of the opening spread, which centers on Constructivism, an organizational philosophy of thinking. The style of the headline, initial cap, and text all combine organizational elements and positions that illustrate the constructivist thought process.

Initial Cap as an Organizational Device

• The designer uses initial caps “B” and “T” in this example to establish a theme that runs through the article.

• Notice also how the magnified caps function as sectional dividers to break up the story.

• Problem: Faced with an awkward block of text that must be kept separate from the rest of the article, how do you avoid visual tedium and create a reader entry point? Solution: Make the initial cap—in this case, the “O”—break the box and contain the headline to the story. The device illustrates the connection between the text in the shaded box and the larger feature.

Here’s a closing thought: The capital letter and use of initial caps is a creative and helpful way to make your publication elegant, fun, and thought provoking. Study the words and their letters and try to make connections in meaning, shape, and color. Remember, it’s a free graphic—so it won’t break the budget!