On this page
- What are calligraphy guidelines for?
- What ratio should calligraphy guidelines use?
- What slant angle is used for Copperplate and Spencerian?
- What x-height should a beginner use?
- Pointed pen or broad pen?
- How do you use calligraphy guide sheets under good paper?
- Questions people ask
- Where Calligraphy Guides helps, and where it does not
- Sources
What are calligraphy guidelines for?
Calligraphy studio Panda Scribes explains the parts of a guide sheet like this:
- X-height: the middle band where the main body of the script sits. Letters such as a, c, e, i, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w and x stay inside it.
- Ascender line: the top limit for tall letters such as b, f, h, k and l. The letters d and t sit about half way up to it.
- Descender line: the lower limit for letters that drop below, such as f, g, j, p, q and z.
- Slant lines: the lines running across the page at an angle. You build each letter along them so every stroke leans the same way.
What ratio should calligraphy guidelines use?
The ratio describes the ascender space, the x-height and the descender space, in that order. Panda Scribes gives three common examples:
- 2:1:2: the ascender and descender lines are twice the x-height away. With a 5 mm x-height, they sit 10 mm above and below.
- 3:2:3: with a 5 mm x-height, the ascender and descender lines are 7.5 mm away.
- 1:1:1: all three spaces are equal.
Changing the ratio changes the feel of the script even when the x-height stays the same. Panda Scribes says traditional scripts usually come with their own guideline rules, so if you are following a particular exemplar or teacher, use their ratio.
What slant angle is used for Copperplate and Spencerian?
According to Panda Scribes, slant lines are typically drawn at 52 to 55 degrees from the horizontal, though you may see anything from 50 to 60 degrees depending on the exemplar. An upright script would have slant lines at 90 degrees.
Anintran’s free guide sheets give a sense of typical settings:
| Script | X-height range | Slant |
|---|---|---|
| Copperplate | 3 to 8 mm | 55 degrees |
| Spencerian | 2 to 6 mm | 52 degrees |
What x-height should a beginner use?
There is no single answer, but you can use sheets like Anintran’s as a guide to the usual range. Panda Scribes says she writes at a 5 mm x-height for most of her projects, such as envelopes, cards and artwork, and that it reads easily at arm’s length. Try a few sizes within that range and see which suits your pen and hand.
Pointed pen or broad pen?
The examples above are pointed pen scripts such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Broad pen hands have their own proportions, usually given in nib widths: the height is measured by stacking pen width squares, so the same sheet works for any nib size. If you are learning one, follow the proportions in your exemplar or from your teacher.
How do you use calligraphy guide sheets under good paper?
Panda Scribes describes printing guidelines and putting them on a light box under the paper she writes on, so the lines show through without being drawn on the finished piece. She also describes drawing guidelines with a ruler and pencil when needed.
Questions people ask
What is x-height in calligraphy?
The height of the main body of small letters, such as a, e, o and n. The ascender and descender spaces are set as a ratio of it.
What angle are calligraphy slant lines?
Typically 52 to 55 degrees from horizontal, according to Panda Scribes. Copperplate sheets often use 55 degrees and Spencerian 52 degrees.
What does a 3:2:3 ratio mean?
Ascender space, x-height and descender space in those proportions. With a 5 mm x-height, the ascender and descender lines sit 7.5 mm away.
Can I use guide sheets under good paper?
Yes. Put the printed sheet under your writing paper, on a light box if the paper is thick, so you can see the lines through it.
Where Calligraphy Guides helps, and where it does not
Calligraphy Guides is our Android app for making calligraphy guide sheets to your own size. Pick a hand or set your own x-height, slant and ratios, choose A4, Letter or Legal paper, and print a white paper PDF or a 300 dpi PNG. For broad pen hands you set the x-height, ascenders and descenders in nib widths, so the sheet scales to your nib, and the pen angle is printed on every page.
The Studio, Copperplate and Italic are free, with a small line naming the app on each sheet. A one-time Pro purchase adds Spencerian, Brush lettering, Foundational, Uncial, Textura and Roman capitals, nib ladders, cap and midlines, line colours, A5 and A3, landscape pages, multi page PDFs, saved templates and clean sheets. There is no subscription.
What it is good for: making guide sheets at the x-height, ratio and slant you want, instead of hunting for a download that is nearly right.
What it will not do: it draws the lines, not the letters. It will not teach you a script or check your strokes; for that you need an exemplar, a teacher or a good book. Print at actual size so your measurements stay true.
Questions or bugs: Email us.
Sources
- Calligraphy Guidelines: Master X-Heights, Ratios and Slant LinesPanda Scribes pandascribes.co.uk
- Free Downloadable Calligraphy Guide SheetsAnintran anintran.com