Lettering & Calligraphy Hub

Brush lettering is a modern style of calligraphy created with flexible brush tips rather than traditional nibs. The pressure you apply changes the thickness of each stroke: light pressure for thin upstrokes, firm pressure for bold downstrokes. It’s ideal for bullet journals, envelope addressing, planners, scrapbooking and handmade cards. Beginners usually start with medium-firm brush pens before moving to soft, flexible tips.

Recommended beginner tools: Pentel Touch, Tombow Fudenosuke, Sakura Brush Pen.

Best paper: smooth, bleed-resistant practice pads.

Dip pens use a metal nib and a pot of ink rather than a cartridge. They create very precise, elegant lines — perfect for formal calligraphy, wedding stationery, and decorative scripts. Unlike brush pens, dip pens allow you to swap nib shapes to alter style and line width. Clean your nib after every session with water and a soft cloth.

Recommended starter setup: basic nib holder, pointed nib (Nikko G or Zebra G), and a waterproof black calligraphy ink.

Top tip: avoid printer paper — use smooth calligraphy pads.

Pick a pen based on tip softness:

• Soft tip: expressive, dramatic strokes (great for experienced letterers)
  
• Medium tip: controlled, consistent lines (best for beginners)
  
• Hard tip: small lettering for planners and journals
  

Try starting with two different sizes so you can practise headings and tiny notes.

Beginner favourites: Pentel Touch, Tombow Dual Brush, Sakura Brush Pen.

Quick rule: if your pen feels scratchy, change the paper — not the pen.

• Streaky strokes? ➜ Use smoother paper (look for “marker paper” or “Bristol”).
  
• Ink blobs? ➜ Reduce pressure on upstrokes and keep nibs clean.
  
• Frayed pen tips? ➜ Avoid cheap copy paper — choose bleed-proof pads.
  
• Uneven letters? ➜ Slow down. Calligraphy is about control, not speed.
  

Pro tip: Keep scrap paper beside you to test each stroke before you commit.

Not sure about the terminology? Explore our Lettering & Calligraphy Glossary.

Most beginners start with a medium-firm brush pen, smooth practice paper, and a simple guide sheet. The Pentel Touch and Sakura brush pens are ideal for learning pressure control. Smooth, bleed-proof pads protect your pen tips and help you create clean strokes.

Brush lettering uses flexible pen tips, while modern calligraphy often uses dip pens, nibs and ink. Both create thick and thin strokes, but dip pens offer more precision for wedding stationery and formal scripts. Brush pens are perfect for everyday journaling, quotes, headings and creative projects.

If you’re brand-new to lettering, brush pens are usually easier because they don’t require ink dipping or nib prep. Once you’re confident with basic strokes, you can move to dip pen calligraphy for more traditional styles and finer control.

Beginners should use smooth-flowing, water-based or archival black inks that won’t clog nibs. We recommend starting with well-behaved calligraphy inks designed for pointed pen nibs.

Brush pens wear out quickly on rough or textured paper. For best results, use smooth marker paper or calligraphy pads. These allow the brush tip to glide and help your pens last much longer.

Yes — our beginner calligraphy kits include pens, nibs, ink and practice sheets so you can start lettering straight away. They make great gifts and are designed to support completely new learners.

Absolutely. Many young artists enjoy lettering because it combines drawing with handwriting. Choose firm or medium-tip pens for better control and durability.

Look for smooth, bleed-proof calligraphy paper that won’t catch the nib. Bristol, marker pads and dedicated calligraphy pads are ideal for beginners and professionals.

Yes — just choose high-quality journals with smooth, heavyweight paper and use fine or hard-tip brush pens. They give crisp lines without ghosting or bleed-through.