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About these calligraphy practice sheets
Good lettering needs the same height and the same slant in every letter. A guide sheet gives you both. It has four lines for the height of the letters and thin slant lines that show the angle.
This tool makes guide sheets for pointed pen (Copperplate), brush pens and italic with a broad nib. Start from a preset, or set the slant, the x-height and the proportions yourself. The PDF changes as you click, and it prints sharp on any printer.
Features
- Five presets — Copperplate, bigger Copperplate for beginners, small brush pen, large brush pen and italic
- Slant lines at any common angle — 52°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 75°, 85°, upright, or none
- x-height from 3 to 20 mm — sized for a fine nib or a big brush pen
- Five proportions — 3:2:3, 2:1:2, 1:1:1, 3:1:3 and 3:4:3 (ascender : x-height : descender)
- Five styles — classic grey, colour-coded lines, a soft pink band, light lines to save ink, and bold lines to put under thin paper
- Spacing you control — the space between slant lines and between rows
- Settings printed at the top — so you know which sheet is which, with a name line
- US Letter or A4, portrait or landscape, up to 50 pages
The lines on a guide sheet
Each row has four lines, from the top:
- Ascender line — the top of tall letters: b, d, h, k, l
- Waist line (x-height line) — the top of small letters: a, c, e, m, o, x
- Baseline — the thick line. Every letter stands on it
- Descender line — the bottom of tails: g, j, p, q, y
The space between the waist line and the baseline is the x-height: the height of a small x. The slant lines cross the row at your angle. Keep the main down strokes of your letters parallel to them.
The presets
| Preset | Slant | x-height | Proportions | Row height | Rows on Letter | Rows on A4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copperplate | 55° | 5 mm | 3:2:3 | 20 mm | 10 | 11 |
| Copperplate, bigger | 55° | 7 mm | 3:2:3 | 28 mm | 7 | 8 |
| Small brush pen | 65° | 7 mm | 1:1:1 | 21 mm | 9 | 10 |
| Large brush pen | 65° | 12 mm | 1:1:1 | 36 mm | 5 | 6 |
| Italic, broad nib | 85° | 6 mm | 3:4:3 | 15 mm | 13 | 14 |
The rows count with the default half x-height between rows and the settings line at the top. Change any value and the preset turns into My own settings.
What the proportions mean
The three numbers compare the ascender space, the x-height and the descender space.
- 3:2:3 — ascenders and descenders are 1.5 times the x-height. With a 5 mm x-height: 7.5 mm, 5 mm and 7.5 mm. This is a common choice for Copperplate.
- 2:1:2 — ascenders and descenders twice the x-height: tall, elegant loops.
- 1:1:1 — three equal spaces. Simple and clear, good for brush lettering and for beginners.
- 3:1:3 — very tall loops for a small x-height.
- 3:4:3 — short ascenders and descenders, as in italic.
Which slant angle?
The angle is measured from the baseline, so 90° is upright and a smaller number leans more to the right.
- 55° — the classic angle for Copperplate and other pointed pen scripts. A good first choice.
- 52° — a stronger slant that some pointed pen writers prefer.
- 60° to 65° — a light slant, often used for brush lettering and modern calligraphy.
- 75° to 85° — a small slant. Italic is usually written about 5 to 10 degrees from upright, so choose 85°.
- Upright or no slant lines — for upright brush lettering, print letters and monoline.
Tips for better practice
- Print at Actual size (100%). "Fit to page" makes the x-height smaller.
- Use smooth paper. Thin, rough paper can make ink spread. Heavier, smooth printer paper works better for pointed pens and brush pens.
- Put the sheet under your paper. Choose the Bold style and lay the sheet under thin paper, like layout or tracing paper. You see the lines through it, and you can use the guide sheet many times.
- Drills first. Fill a row with slanted lines, ovals and loops before you write letters.
- One letter per row. Then short words. Then sentences.
Frequently asked questions
What is the x-height?
It is the height of the small letters without ascenders or descenders, like x, a and o. On the sheet it is the space between the waist line and the baseline. A bigger x-height means bigger letters.
Which x-height should I choose?
It depends on your pen. Fine pointed nibs and small brush pens: 4 to 7 mm. Big, soft brush pens: 10 to 15 mm. For a broad nib, many people use an x-height of about 5 nib widths.
Can I use it for brush lettering?
Yes. Choose Small brush pen or Large brush pen, or set your own x-height. Many brush letterers like 1:1:1 proportions and a light slant, or no slant lines.
Why does the slant say 55° and not 35°?
The angle is measured from the baseline, the usual way for guide sheets. 55° from the baseline is 35° from upright.
Can I print it without slant lines?
Yes. Set Slant lines to No slant lines. You get only the four horizontal lines in each row.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up and no watermark. The PDF is made in your browser.
Good to know
- The lines are drawn as vectors, so they stay sharp at any printer resolution.
- The Minimal style uses light grey lines to save ink. The Bold style is dark on purpose, for use under thin paper.
- Your settings are saved in this browser for your next visit.
Related tools
- Handwriting Worksheet Maker — tracing sheets for school handwriting
- Name Tracing Worksheet — print or cursive name practice
- Printable Lined Paper — plain lined paper
- Dot Grid Paper — dot grid for lettering layouts and bullet journals
- Font Viewer — look at fonts for lettering ideas
- Kanji Practice Sheet — practise Japanese, Chinese and Korean characters
How to use it
- Pick a preset under Start from, or choose My own settings
- Set the Slant lines, the x-height and the proportions
- Pick a Style: classic, colour, soft, minimal or bold
- Under More options, change the space between slant lines and between rows
- Click Download PDF or Print, and print at Actual size
