Printable Graph Paper

Calligraphy Practice Paper

Guide sheets ruled to your hand: ascender, x-height and descender bands, with slant lines at the angle your script uses.

210 × 297 mm
Download PDF
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How to print Calligraphy Practice Paper

  1. Pick the paper

    Choose Calligraphy Practice Paper from the list. It opens with the usual size already set.

    Calligraphy Practice Paper selected in the list of paper types

  2. Set it up

    Pick the paper size, the grid and the orientation. Customize holds colours, margins and more.

    Settings for Calligraphy Practice Paper: paper size, grid and orientation

  3. Download or print

    Download the ready PDF, or print straight from the page at 100% scale.

    Calligraphy Practice Paper preview with the Download PDF and Print buttons

Ruling to the nib, not to the page

Calligraphy guidelines are traditionally measured in nib widths rather than millimetres — an Italian hand might be five nib widths of x-height, a Gothic textura four. Which means the ruling depends on the pen, and every pen wants a different sheet.

Set the x-height to your nib width times the ratio your script calls for, then the ascender and descender bands on top. That is why these three are separate settings rather than one row height.

The slant lines

Consistent slant is what separates practised calligraphy from careful handwriting, and it is very hard to hold by eye over a whole page.

  • Italic — around 5° to 10° off vertical, so a slant setting near 80° to 85°.
  • Copperplate — a steep 55°, which is why that is the default here.
  • Spencerian — about 52°, close to copperplate but a lighter hand.
  • Gothic textura — upright, so turn the slant off entirely.
  • Modern brush lettering — pick whatever angle your own hand wants.

Every sheet here is free, adjustable and prints at exact scale.

Oblique guide Ruled lines plus slanted guides for a consistent italic angle. Handwriting paper Three-line rows with a dashed midline for learning letter heights. Séyès (French ruled) The French school ruling: 8 mm rows split by three fine lines. Lined paper Plain ruled paper with an adjustable rule width and margin line.

Questions

What slant angle does copperplate use?

Traditionally 55° from the horizontal, which is the default here. Spencerian is a little shallower at about 52°, and italic is much steeper at 80° or more.

How do I convert nib widths to millimetres?

Measure the width of your nib and multiply by the ratio your script uses. A 2 mm nib at five nib widths of x-height gives a 10 mm x-height.

Can I turn the slant lines off?

Set the slant angle to 0 or 90 and they disappear, leaving the horizontal bands alone. Upright scripts like Gothic textura are usually practised that way.