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L in Bubble Letters

By Maya Chen, lettering designer and type educator · Checked by Jordan Hale · · How we review content

Capital L
Lowercase l

Rendered in the Bagel Fat One typeface, an open-source font. It is a reference shape, not a hand-drawn letter.

L is two strokes at a right angle, which makes it a good letter for learning the whole bubble method before moving on to the harder shapes. The capital has a stem and a foot, and the lowercase l is just a tall capsule. Because there is so little to go wrong, this is the letter where the finish matters most.

Outline version to colour or trace

Open in the bubble letter generator →

How to draw a bubble capital L

  1. 1Draw a vertical line and a horizontal line from its bottom to the right, making an L with a perfect corner.
  2. 2Make the foot about two thirds as long as the stem is tall, so the letter is not too wide.
  3. 3Inflate both lines into one tube with a rounded outer corner where the stem meets the foot.
  4. 4Draw the inside corner as a smooth curve rather than a right angle, with a small radius.
  5. 5Erase the skeleton and shade the underside of the foot, with a highlight running down the left of the stem.

Tip: Use L to test your pen thickness before you start a word. If an L looks even and plump, the rest of the letters will probably match.

How to draw a bubble lowercase l

  1. 1Draw a single vertical line from the baseline to the ascender line, the same height as your capital L's stem.
  2. 2Inflate it into a capsule with straight sides and semicircular ends.
  3. 3Compare its width with the capital L's stem, and widen or narrow the outline until they match.
  4. 4Add a tiny highlight at the top left, and shade along the right side with a darker tone.
  5. 5Optionally curve the bottom slightly right into a short tail if you want it to be distinguished from capital I.

Tip: A plain bubble lowercase l looks like a capital I. If the word might be confusing, add the short tail or draw the l slightly taller.

What makes L awkward or easy

The capital L has only one corner, which should be rounded on the outside and softly bent inside. The long straight sides can wobble, so draw them with a ruler or the side of your forearm. The lowercase l is the simplest bubble letter there is, and the main design choice is how to tell it from I.

Variations

A graffiti L stretches the foot into a long, slanted tail. A kid's L is drawn fat with a tiny inner corner. You can add a bevel by shading the inner corner. For 3D, the extrusion shows as a thin strip along the underside and right of the foot, which looks like a slab of candy.

Common mistakes with bubble L

  • The foot is too long and the L looks like a sled runner.

    Shorten the foot to about two thirds of the stem height.

  • The inner corner is a sharp right angle.

    Round it with a curve, about half a stroke in radius, so it matches the outer corner.

  • The stem thickness changes from top to bottom.

    Mark the width on scrap paper and slide it along the stem as you draw, or use a ruler guide.

  • The lowercase l is mistaken for a capital I.

    Give the l a small tail or draw it taller than the other letters.

Ideas for bubble L

L is the opening letter for Lily, Leo and Lina, and for LOVE and LUCK banners. Because it is so quick to draw, a row of bubble Ls in different colours makes a fast border pattern. Teachers often use L as the first letter on a handwriting-to-bubble worksheet.

Printable bubble L sheet

Trace the outlines, then fill the empty rows with your own bubble letters.

Bubble letter L l Name: ____________________ · coolletteringgenerator.com

Bubble L you can copy and paste

Ⓛ and ⓛ are the circled L, and 🅛 is the filled capital, with no black lowercase. A circled lowercase ⓛ looks much like a circled capital at small sizes, a muddle that also affects a hand-drawn l and I.

Bubble L: questions

How do you draw a bubble letter L?
Draw a vertical stem with a horizontal foot at its bottom, making a right angle. Inflate both strokes into one tube with a rounded outside corner and a softly curved inside corner. Outline in pen, erase the pencil and shade the underside of the foot.
What does a lowercase bubble l look like?
A tall capsule: a straight vertical bar with round top and bottom ends. It is the same height as the stem of the capital L. Some people add a small tail curving right at the bottom to separate it from a capital I.
Why is L good for beginners?
It has one corner and no curves, counters or joins, so you can focus on even thickness and smooth outlines. If you can inflate an L evenly, the same habits carry over to harder letters. Practise a few in a row, checking the thickness each time.
How long should the foot of a bubble L be?
Around two thirds of the stem's height. A longer foot makes the letter wide and low, and a shorter one makes it look like a boot. Adjust it so the L feels balanced next to the other capitals in your word.

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