Calligraphy Practice Paper
Guideline sheets built the way calligraphers measure: in nib widths. Enter your pen’s nib size and the x-height for your script, and add slant lines for italic or copperplate.
Preview with a centimetre and inch rule. The rule is not printed.
Vector PDF, no watermark. Print at Actual size / 100% so squares measure true (why).
Measuring in nib widths
Broad-edge scripts are proportioned by the width of the pen, not by millimetres. The x-height (the body of the small letters) is measured by stacking little squares made by pulling the nib sideways, the nib ladder printed at the start of each line. Classic Italic uses about 5 nib widths, Foundational hand about 4, and Blackletter about 5 with short ascenders.
Slant lines help keep letters parallel. Italic leans slightly, around 5–7° from vertical (83–85° here), while pointed-pen copperplate traditionally leans to 55° from horizontal.
| Script | x-height | Ascender | Slant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italic | 5 nib widths | 3–4 | 83–85° |
| Foundational | 4 | 3 | Upright |
| Blackletter (Textura) | 5 | 2 | Upright |
| Copperplate (pointed pen) | set in mm | ≈ x-height | 55° |
Questions
What nib width should I enter?
Use the width printed on your pen or nib, for example 3.8 mm for a Pilot Parallel 3.8 or 2 mm for a Speedball C-2. For pointed pens, enter the x-height you want divided by 5.
What do the dashed lines mean?
They are the ascender and descender lines, showing how far tall letters like h and tails like p should reach.
Can I turn off the slant lines?
Yes, set the slant to 0.