3 lettering tips for beginners

If you’re a stationery fanatic, you’ve probably heard of or at least seen the art of lettering. This craft is basically the art of drawing words. It is often described more as artwork than actually writing because of the elaborate decorations and embellishments in and surrounding various fonts.

Lettering is a form of stationery adornment that many people enjoy using, and it might be something you’re interested in learning, as well. However, as with any skill, knowing where to start can be tricky. You won’t be able to create a perfect thank you card with decorative lettering right away – it takes time and dedication to truly master this skill, but here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Gather supplies

As a beginner, there’s point using a bunch of expensive paper and pens. When you’re practicing, a regular lined notebook and pencil will do. It’s also helpful to get a clear ruler so you can plot out lines and angles that you’d like your lettering to follow.

When you get better at this craft, you can purchase heavier paper and find fine-tipped pens in multi-colored inks for your projects.

2. Practice fonts
If you look at an example of lettering, one of the first things you’ll probably notice is the use of various font faces. One hand printed quote can contain three or more fonts, so knowing how to write a variety of styles is an important first step.

To start building a repertoire of font styles, go to an online font website or simply open up a Word document. Use the font you like as an example and copy the letters onto a piece of paper by hand. This will help you understand the shape and flourishes associated with each typeface. If you’re struggling to create neat lines and maintain even spacing, print off a page of words in that font and trace the letters. This will help your muscles get used to the angles and spaces it’s supposed to create. Repeat this several times with different prints until you have a few that you know really well.

3. Consider a class
You can find a lot of information about lettering online, but you’ll learn a lot faster if you have someone explaining the importance of angles and character shapes in person. With a class, you can ask questions and get answers right away without spending hours searching the Web for an explanation.

Once you have some fonts figured out, a class can help you learn how to take those characters and transform them into beautiful works of art. Start practicing your lettering today so you can send friends and loved ones elaborately decorated cards and letters.