After an embarrassment I faced as a student, where my professor hand-picked my note in class but couldn’t read a word of it, I decided to fix the writing issue. 

First, I switched from a disposable bank pen to a fountain pen, but that didn’t automatically change my writing for the better. I had to dispose of my old writing habits and learn new ones. 

Depending on the wielder, fountain pens are capable of producing many different handwriting styles. In this article, we will discuss different fountain pen handwriting styles and tips on how to improve your penmanship.

Why Is It Important To Have Amazing Handwriting?

Before I uncover how you can enjoy a smooth writing experience, let’s ask a very glaring question. Why should you write legibly?

The art of handwriting has declined due to technological advancements in different modes of writing content. But since we cannot eliminate handwriting completely, it’s best to improve it for the following significant reasons:

• Readability: when you consider how much effort and time it takes to read and understand the slopes of handwritten content, you’ll begin to appreciate how important it is to have neat and uniform handwriting.  

• Perception: Irrespective of the quality of the pen you use in writing, the lines you produce with such a pen inform people’s perception of you.

Improving Your Fountain Pen Handwriting Style

Improving your fountain pen handwriting style depends on factors such as writing technique, tools used, and practice. 

Writing Technique

Sit In An Upright And Comfortable Writing Position 

Staying calm and comfortable is key to good handwriting, and your sitting posture is a huge contributor to how relaxed you are when taking notes. 

Firstly, assume a comfortable position on a chair behind a desk. Be upright – place your feet on the ground and your back straight to avoid bending over or stretching across the desk. 

Ensure that the writing surface is in front of you at an angle comfortable enough to move your hand, elbow, and arm without stress.

Hold Your Pen Appropriately

Hold your handwriting pen softly with your thumb and index after deciding if you want the cap posted or off. Usually, fountain pens are best balanced when you post the cap. 

Optimize control by supporting the pen with your middle finger while your palm. Ring finger, and little finger are rested against the writing surface for improved stability. Hold the pen at a 40-55 degree angle to the writing paper.

This fountain pen nib’s area (sweet spot) glides over the paper with an incredible ink flow. If not, the nib will appear scratchy and skippy. Avoid rotating the nibs too much so that you don’t lift the sweet spot from the paper.

Move your hand and arm as you write to prevent putting unnecessary strain on your fingers and hurting them. Movement in your lower arm prevents rotation and constant change in the angle the nib makes with the paper. This may make your fountain pen less likely to remain at the expected writing position. 

Reduce The Pressure Applied On The Writing Surface

Many people are used to ballpoint pens, and some are heavy-handed writers. As a result, they push down fountain pens too hard. Unlike ballpoint pens that need you to hold down well to write continuously, fountain pens only need little to no pressure to write effectively. 

All you need to do is navigate the pen over the writing paper for a smooth ink flow. Applying too much pressure will only damage the nib and make it less functional over time. 

Write Uniformly 

To achieve gorgeous handwriting, consistency is vital. We tend to appreciate aligned, symmetrical, and evenly spaced shapes. Poor writing deviates from what the reader expects to see, making it difficult to amend what’s been written. 

To improve attractiveness and eligibility, ensure that the ascenders and descenders rise and drop to the same height and level. The size of the capital letters should be equal, and the size of the lowercase letters should also be identical. Remember to space your words uniformly.

Tools

To improve your handwriting skills, you have to pick the right equipment. This section shows you the best tool options for beautiful handwriting.

Choice of Pen

The mystique of handwriting is fountain pens. With a slanted grip and a light touch, you will get an easy ink flow. Unlike disposable ballpoint pens, which are usually one size, fountain pens enable you to express handwriting unique to your style.

Nibs are what makes fountain pens so unique. They come in different sizes and shapes, ranging from small to broad stub, flex, cursive/italic, zoom, and many more. 

Stub nibs are typical with rounded edges and short, flattened tips. They produce thick lines on the downstrokes and thinner horizontal lines, making you write in a calligraphic style. You may need some practice, but they write well at most angles, and no specialized skills are needed.

A flex nib requires a little extra practice to get used to it. Different pressure applied to the writing surface determines how thick your lines will be. Once you master the use, a flex nib will give a classic outlook to your handwriting.

The Cursive/Italic nib has a broad, flattened tip like the stub one, but it’s rectangular rather than round. It offers more line variance than stub nibs but is sensitive to writing angles. It must be handled with care, otherwise, you risk tearing or scratching the paper.

The Zoom nib can comfortably replace a flex nib, as it makes line variety relying on the angle of elevation instead of pressure. A slight angle of elevation produces thicker lines, while a higher angle of elevation gives thinner lines. A little practice is required, but the degree of control this nib provides is unrivaled.

Paper

In handwriting, the quality of paper is often overlooked. Utilizing a fountain pen on thin, reused paper leads to feathering and seeping through, making even the best penmanship look like a messy inkblot. 

Avoid the use of chemically treated papers as they poorly absorb ink and can cause it to build up in the nibs, clogging the feed.

When using a fountain pen, ensure that you write on the appropriate paper. 

Ink

Ink is the life of a pen. Without it, every other pen component is worthless. To upgrade your handwriting, you must choose an appropriate ink.

There are different ink colors and types for everyone and every style. Left-handed writers should use quick-drying ink to forestall unplanned smearing. Certain inks have visually remarkable properties like soft luster, shading, and shimmer. 

Enjoy your handwriting practice by utilizing adequate ink that suits your writing style.

Practice is Key

The key to any hand skill is consistent practice. Writing with your hands now and then is one of the most important steps to take as you try to improve your handwriting skills. 

You can begin by using practice sheets. Although writing will get easier, it may become less fun and repetitive over time. At that point, you can continue your handwriting practice without using the practice sheets. 

Develop a good practice attitude by making your writing experience enjoyable and positive. You can handwrite from the pages of your favorite books, or newspapers, or translate words from your favorite languages. You can also pen down your favorite quotes, take pictures and share them on social media.

If you are in a meeting or classroom, you can jot notes down with your hands instead of typing. This practice style may not necessarily teach artistry, but it helps to develop readability and speed.

Try writing letters to your loved ones using your hands. This not only increases the connection between you and them, but it is also unexpected, appreciated, and makes them feel special.

Getting Familiar With Some Writing Styles

Changing to a different penmanship style can strengthen visual interest and accentuation. Apply the various styles highlighted below to your day-to-day handwriting practice.

Basic Writing Style

A basic style keeps the height to which the ascenders rise and the level the descenders drop consistent with uniform spacing.

A stub nib is very efficient for this writing style due to its round shape. The angle at which this nib is held determines the thickness of the downstrokes and horizontal lines.

Julia Handwritten Style

The Julia handwritten style involves rounding of letters, giving it a feminine touch. There is more emphasis on capital letters. This is a unique style of writing for females.

Italic 

This beautiful writing style helps you learn with speed. Words are usually joined together, and it discourages the lifting of the pen from the writing surface, especially between letters. You should not write in much hurry or not include proper and even spacing. 

To achieve the right loops and curves with various lines, a stub nib will work perfectly well. Use a flex nib for a more expressive style to produce in-writing line variation by applying pressure to the downstroke of the letters.

Calligraphy 

The ability to handwrite beautifully has now transformed into a craftsman’s art instead of what was once very typical of people. Today, calligraphy is considered one of the best arts in China, and it’s also very appreciated in many other cultures. 

Ballistic Style

Ballistic is a distinctive style if you are looking for distinct eye-catching writing. Ballistic’s current approach for titles, headlines, logos, and the scope of assembling and branding products makes it a solid style to learn.

Outline Style

The outline is a blocky style of handwriting. You can create headings in your diary and it requires more attention. For a bit of drama, effect a drop shadow to produce a 3-dimensional feel on the writing surface.

Victor Handwriting Style

The Victor handwriting style features even letters with a mix of both thick and thin lines, mirroring a true handwritten feel. It is as if a feather is dipped into ink and written with it. The style is best used for designs or illustrations to portray a handwritten write-up. 

The best nib to achieve this style is the flex nib because you can apply different pressure to achieve the desired thickness.

Conclusion

If you’ve made up your mind to improve your handwriting, remember that fountain pens have different writing styles. You should not rush or write at your regular speed, but take your time to learn and practice. 

Quality is more important than how fast you can write. Dial back, take as much time as is needed, and concentrate on the letters you are writing and how you are doing it. 

In no time, you will be astonished at the rate your handwriting can improve. Remember to focus on the size, shape, and space between your letters.