Tradition shows that a calligraphy-written card was always the way it has been done. A monk would sit down and write the contents of the invitation for engaged couples.

While there is nothing wrong with doing your own invitations on the computer, there is still something special about picking up a calligraphy pen and giving the invitations your own personal touch. Taking it a step further, particularly if you don’t know your way around a calligraphy pen, you can hire a calligrapher to design your cards for you. Handmade, whether by you or someone you hired for the job will always give your invitations that unbeatable human touch.

A good calligrapher will have created wedding invitations before and so, they will have a portfolio of previous work to look over which will help in choosing how you want your cards to look. This will certainly make your card an extremely unique one.

Because, no matter how skilled the calligrapher is, each invitation card will contain differences giving them a uniqueness that will come to be treasured. It would be a good idea to get your prospective calligrapher to do an example card for you, to check the work. Alternatively you can just hire the calligrapher to do the one card and copy it to produce the balance of the order. Naturally, you lose the unique nature of each invitation but you are saving a considerable amount of money if that’s the option you choose.

A consideration that you’re going to have to factor in if you go for a handmade calligraphy wedding invitation is that it is going to be expensive. As a matter of fact, the cost of a card can be quite high if you would like to make all your cards hand-written. This is probably one of the disadvantages of such a wedding card.

That brings us back to taking up a calligraphy pen, learning some calligraphy and creating your own wedding invitations. The invitations will be more meaningful to you and also to your guests, not to mention to act as a strong talking point.

The Copperplate, or Roundhand, alphabet became popular after the invention of the printing press. It was through the competition between the scribe and the engraver that forced the scribe to abandon the broad nibbed pen and take up the pointed nib. This was so they could emulate the fine work produced by the engraver.

The problem for the scribe was that the pressure that had to be applied on the down movement of the pen turned the process into a laborious effort. This was because the thick strokes were not easy to make with such a thin nibbed pen.

So it became necessary for the Copperplate scribe to make up a new rhythm of differing pressures when they made the effort to manipulate the pen properly.

Unlike other hands where the letter forms are written at an angle of about 10 degrees, Copperplate is written at an angle of 54 degrees. This extreme tilt became popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries resulting in the invention of the oblique calligraphy pen holder.

Copperplate is distinguished by the extreme slant and even appearance. The lines of the letters flow from one to another and the swells appear effortless. The movement is accentuated by tall, squared off ascenders and descenders. The capitals are very ornate containing generous swirls, which is not to say the calligrapher should go overboard with attempting elaborate flourishes.

The calligraphy pen nib required to produce Copperplate script is unlike that of the nib needed for other hands in that it needs to be a flexible pointed nib. In order to become proficient at producing quality Copperplate script you must learn to flex and spread your nib with proper pressure.

Displayed below is a copy of a copperplate calligraphy alphabet.

Check out more posts about calligraphy alphabets such as Italic Hand, Gothic Hand, Uncial Hand, Foundational Hand and Roman Capitals.

Gothic Hand

The defining characteristic of Gothic Hand is the extreme density that has also earned it the name ‘Black Letter”.

Scripts such as Gothic Textura Quadrata were named after the shape of the letters on the page. This script then refers to the square shape of the letters and the idea that the written page should look as though it has a woven texture.

When writing Gothic Hand try to remember that it is a dominant hand with letters to be grouped closely together. While constructing your letters try to keep the calligraphy pen at an angle of around 30 degrees. When drawing the hairlines, do so with the pen at a 90 degree or, for the letters ‘s’ and ‘x’, with the left hand point of the pen nib.

Medieval scribes had no official majuscule letters for their Gothic scripts so they tended to borrow from the Roman Capitals and Uncial Hand. Gothic majuscules should be used sparingly because, written in a block, the letters virtually become illegible.

Lettering Charts 

Gothic Majuscule

Gothic Miniscule

Roman Capitals are a majuscule script. In other words the letters are only formed as capital letters.

A Roman Capitals alphabet sampler is supplied at the bottom of the page but first, here’s a brief history of the origins of Roman Capitals and some rules and tips to remember when forming the letters.

Origins of Roman Capitals

Going back over two thousand years to Ancient Rome and the letters inscribed in stone and marble by the master craftsmen of the time gives us the origins of this classic alphabet. Roman Capitals are probably the most important examples of letters that would come to greatly influence Western calligraphy.

The Roman Capital letterforms are based around the circle and the square and can be divided into four groups: circle within the square, three quarter width, half width and whole square.

Today’s Roman Capitals are not quite as opulent as the letters of ancient times with smaller, more elegant serifs now a feature.

Using Your Calligraphy Pen

When you form your Roman Capitals you need to ensure that your calligraphy pen maintains an angle of 30 degrees. When forming the diagonal strokes you alter the angle to 45 degrees and for elegance in the serifs go for an angle that is even flatter than 30 degrees.

The letters should be formed with some space around them so make sure you are conscious of not crowding them too closely together.

Roman Capitals rely on the geometric widths relative to the circle and square for their elegance. The widths are based on which groups the letters are formed. It is important to have a good understanding of how the letters are constructed before attempting to construct the whole alphabet.

The calligraphy pen nib you would be looking at using would be an edged or broad pen to write this script.

Origins of Uncial Hand 

Uncial hand was developed around the 4th century AD or even earlier. It is composed of majuscules which have no corresponding miniscules to accompany them. The few letters that extend above the body of the letter - 'D', 'H' and 'Q' - are the first signs of ascenders and descenders that were to later come in miniscule script.

Uncial Form 

Uncial letters are very rounded and may not come naturally to anyone who normally writes compressed forms. All arches follow the round arches of the 'O'. Ensure that you have your calligraphy pen at a flat angle to ensure that the marks are sufficiently thick and wide.

Letters that have slight ascenders or descenders should only be minimal in height, extending only between one or two nib widths. The letters are upright letters and should not be written with any slope. If you find that the letters begin to have a forward lean to them, you're probably writing too quickly and need to slow down.

When composing this script you must be thinking 'fat and flat'. When people run into problems with Uncials it is usually because the roundness of the characters is not being maintained. Uncial script is quite suitable for left-handers who should find writing uncial script very comfortable.

The Foundational hand was devised by Edward Johnston who lived from 1872 – 1944. He devised the script after his studies of medieval manuscripts in the British Library after he was commissioned to write a manuscript by the Principal of the Central School of Art, William Lethaby. Foundational hand is also known as Round Hand.

The hand is based on a 10th-century English Carolingian manuscript and is the hand that is one of the first that a calligrapher will learn. It is the first of the modern scripts

Writing Foundational Script

The Foundational hand is based on the circle made by two overlapping strokes of the calligraphy pen. This cursive hand is written with a constant pen angle and few pen lifts. The characteristic thick and thin strokes of the letterforms are the result of the constant angle at which the calligraphy pen is held.

Almost all the letters of this hand relate to the circle and arches, so when you prepare to write the letters, practise by drawing controlled crescent moon shapes, beginning and ending on a thin point. Once you have mastered the circular shapes, the semicircles can be attached to upright stems to create rounded letterforms or they can be extended into a downstroke to form arches. Rounded serifs are used on entry and exit of strokes.

Foundational hand is a formal, upright script where each letter is made up of two or more strokes making it a script that has more lifts than a cursive script. The pen is held at an angle of 30 degrees which will control the distribution of the weight, creating the thin and thick strokes. This constant pen angle is necessary so that good, rounded letterforms and strong arches are produced. The only exception to the 30 degree rule is when forming letters in the diagonals group when the pen is to be held at an angle of 45 degrees to prevent the stroke from being too thick.

The letters should be evenly spaced, the letter height is four times the width of the pen nib - you can check this by turning your calligraphy pen sideways to make squares with the nib and then rule the lines based on this measurement.

The Foundational Alphabet Letterforms

The main problem you will be likely to encounter when starting is holding the pen at the right angle. Most of us tend to hold the pen at a fairly flat angle compared to the line we are writing on when we write which is more natural than the steeper angle required when using a calligraphy pen. You will need to constantly check the angle of your pen which should be at around 40 – 60 degrees to the writing surface.

Left-Handers

The majority of strokes when constructing scripts are taught as pull strokes rather than push strokes. This means that the pen will be pulled across the page. These pull strokes are aimed at the majority of the population who happen to be right-handers. Left-handed calligraphers, if they are going to follow the correct stroke direction, have to adjust their hand or arm positions or the position or angle of the paper.

The left-handed calligrapher may opt for the underarm position which will give them the greatest chance to make their strokes the same way that right-handers do. It also means that the pen-holder and the nib will be aligned the same way as for a right-hander. For beginners this could be important when learning from a right handed teacher, particularly when they attempt to mimic the teacher’s strokes.

The underarm position won’t suit all left-handed calligraphers, so another popular technique is the hook position where your hand and pen come from above your work and you flex your wrist downward to make your strokes. A third alternative may be preferred by turning the paper through 90 degrees and then work from top to bottom.

There are many left-handed calligraphers who have adapted to accommodate the position that is the most comfortable for them. It may take a little experimentation but through a bit of trial and error you will find a position that works for you.

Making Your Mark

When you're using your calligraphy pen your aim is for the pen to flow with an easy rhythm as it moves lightly across the surface of the paper. To achieve this there are some important considerations to take into account before picking up your pen.

Your Workstation

The chances are when you get into calligraphy you're going to be sitting in the same spot for long periods of time so you're going to have to make sure you're comfortable. Rather than sitting hunched over a surface that lies flat on the table, a sloped writing surface will allow you to sit with a straight back.

Position your table near a natural light source if working in daylight. If working at night or in poor lighting conditions use a desk lamp. So that your hand doens't cast a shadow over your work, position the desk lamp to the left of your work if you're right-handed or to the right if you're left-handed.

Using Your Calligraphy Pen

If you are using a pen for the first time, take a little time getting used to the feel of the pen and the mark it leaves on the paper. Start with a broad nib if you are new to calligraphy because it will give you a better idea of what's going on when you make the strokes.

Start your first stroke with a small sideways movement at the start of your stroke to spread the ink from the slit across the nib which will also encourage more ink to be discharged. That small sideways movement will create what is called a serif. Make some long straight vertical marks on the paper and check to see whether they are sharp or ragged. If they're ragged it means that you haven't pressed the whole of the nib against the paper properly as you write. Give the pen a slight adjusting turn and try again.

Now try some regular thick and thin marks by holding the pen at a constant angle and making a zigzag pattern across the page. The angle at which you hold your pen will influence the look of the letters you write so it is important to master the correct pen angle early. After doing the zigzag pattern, try some horizontal and vertical lines. Again this will test that your pen angle is constant. You're on the right track if the horizontal and vertical strokes are the same thickness.

You've made some marks on paper with your calligraphy pen. Congratulations, you're now a calligrapher - from here it will only take a lifetime to master.