Manga lettering divides into two distinct traditions: dialogue and narration, which are typeset in production using prepared fonts; and sound effects (擬音語) and on-image text, which are drawn by hand and integrated into the panel composition. The division has consequences for both production and translation that this page examines.
Dialogue typesetting
Dialogue in Japanese manga is typeset in vertical-text fonts during pre-press production. The standard Japanese manga font is a Mincho-style serif (e.g., Iwata Antique, A1 Mincho) for narration and a Gothic sans-serif for dialogue; some publishers use specific in-house font sets. Emphatic dialogue may be set in a heavier weight, in larger size, or in a different typeface entirely. The katakana representations of foreign words and the hiragana representations of soft speech each have their own typographic conventions.
Sound effects drawn by hand
Sound effects in manga are drawn into the panel by the artist, in pen on the original page, with the lettering treated as integral to the visual composition rather than as separable text. The size, weight, angle, and rendering of a sound-effect's lettering communicate the sound's intensity, character, and direction. A small, light doki doki in a corner suggests a quiet heartbeat; a large, bold DOKAN with impact lines suggests an explosion. The technique is closer to graphic design than to typing.
Translation challenges
Cross-language translation of manga sound effects is genuinely difficult. Three approaches are common:
- Replace — the Japanese sound effect is removed and an English equivalent is drawn in by a letterer. This integrates well into the panel composition but loses the original lettering's visual character.
- Annotate — the Japanese sound effect remains, with a small English gloss added in the margin or under the panel.
- Leave — the Japanese sound effect remains untranslated. Common in scanlations; less common in licensed editions.
The replace-and-redraw approach is more expensive per page than the annotate or leave approaches, since it requires a skilled letterer who can match the original's design intent. Several established English-language manga letterers (Tom Orzechowski, Wes Abbott, Cox & Co.) are credited specifically for sound-effect work on major series.