How to start lettering beautiful phrases

Remember learning to write the alphabet as a kid, one careful letter at a time?

Hand lettering brings that feeling back, with prettier results. You’ve seen it on café chalkboards and birthday cakes, on greeting cards and all over your social feeds. To start, you only need a pen, some paper and a little practice.

Here are seven steps: three beginner scripts to learn first, then a simple way to turn them into a phrase you love.

What’s the difference between lettering and calligraphy?

In calligraphy, the tool shapes the letter. A broad nib or a brush makes thick and thin lines as you write.

In hand lettering, you draw each letter and then fill it in, a bit like a tiny illustration. Lettering borrows many of its shapes from calligraphy, so simple calligraphy scripts are the perfect place to start.

11. Draw your guidelines

Before any letter, draw a few light pencil lines with a ruler. The bottom line is where letters sit. A line in the middle marks the top of small letters, like a or o. A line above it is for tall letters, like h or l, and one below is for tails, like g or y.

Guidelines keep every word straight and every letter the same height. You’ll erase them at the end.

22. Start with a monoline script

In a monoline script, every line has the same thickness. Everyday cursive is a monoline script. If you already write in cursive, pick a different monoline style to practice, so it feels like learning a new hand.

It’s the easiest script to begin with, because you don’t have to think about pressure. Any pencil or ballpoint will do. Write slowly: lettering is drawing, not writing.

33. Try a brush script

Brush scripts mix thick and thin lines, made with a paintbrush or a brush pen. One rule covers most of it: downstrokes are thick, upstrokes are thin. Press as you pull the pen down, and lighten up as you go back up.

Warm up with single strokes first: a thin line up, a thick line down, then ovals and loops. Fill half a page with them before your first letter.

44. Fake it with faux calligraphy

Faux calligraphy is a gentle bridge from calligraphy to lettering. Write a word in monoline script. Find every downstroke and draw a second line beside it, then fill in the gap. Suddenly the word looks like brush lettering, and you did it with a regular pen.

Do it in pencil first and ink it when you’re happy. Once it feels easy, add flourishes or a little shading.

• Monoline
• Brush
• Faux calligraphy

55. Pick your phrase and your key word

Now for the fun part. Pick a short phrase of three to six words, like “Good things take time” or “Hello, sunshine.”

Choose the most important word. That’s your key word: it will be the biggest, in brush or faux calligraphy. The smaller words go in monoline, around it.

Tip: short phrases look best. If your quote is long, keep just the part you’d want to read every morning.

66. Sketch the layout in pencil

Draw a light box for each word before you letter it: a big one for the key word, smaller ones above and below. Nudge them until the spaces between words look even and the whole phrase feels balanced.

Then letter each word inside its box, still in pencil.

77. Ink it and add a doodle

Go over the pencil with your pen, slowly, one stroke at a time. Let the ink dry completely, then erase the guidelines.

Finish with a small doodle: a leaf, a tiny heart, a few stars or a swash under the key word. Keep it simple, so the words stay the star.

Common mistakes (and easy fixes)

• Writing instead of drawing. Speed makes wobbly strokes. Slow down and draw each letter.
• Thick upstrokes. The word looks heavy. Lift the pressure as the pen goes up.
• No guidelines. Letters wander up and down. Two pencil lines fix it.
• Letters squeezed together. The word is hard to read. Leave even gaps, about the width of an o.
• Erasing too soon. The ink smudges. Wait until it's completely dry.

Your turn

Your first phrase might take a few tries. Keep every version, and date them. In a few weeks, you’ll love seeing how far your letters have come.

Not sure lettering is for you? Read Why hand lettering is worth learning for ideas on what to make with it.

Questions about hand lettering

What's the difference between hand lettering and calligraphy?

In calligraphy the tool shapes the letter as you write. In hand lettering you draw each letter, often in several strokes, like a small illustration.

What pen should a beginner use for hand lettering?

Start with the pen you have for monoline and faux calligraphy. When you're ready for brush script, a small brush pen is easier to control than a big one.

Can I do hand lettering with a normal pen?

Yes. Faux calligraphy gives you thick and thin lines with any fineliner or ballpoint: just add a second line to every downstroke and fill it in.

How long does it take to learn hand lettering?

It depends on how often you practice. Ten minutes on most days goes a long way, and your first phrase can come together in a single afternoon.