How to Improve Your Handwriting: 5 Easy Tips and Tricks
As we type more and write less, handwriting has become a lost art.
If your New Year’s resolution is to improve your handwriting, we’ve got handy tips
to get your writing back on track.
Quick Tips.
A few tweaks to your natural style can make it easier to read your handwriting.
Here are five tips you can try.
1. Make your letters clear.
We recognize letters by looking at their tops.
When letters have loops on their ascenders, or don’t have fully closed tops,
they can be unclear.
An “l” with a large loop might look like an “e.”
An “a” or “o” that isn’t closed could look like a “u."
Remove or minimize loops from ascenders and close the tops of your letters to make them
more legible.
To differentiate between letters like “a” and “d” or “a” and “q”, ascenders
and descenders should be sufficiently longer.
This will help them stand out more and be easier to read.
2. Be consistent.
Whether you experiment with letter shapes, handwriting size, or line slant, make sure
that your baseline and letterforms are consistent.
Using graph paper is a great way to practice this.
A baseline is the bottom of most letters, where the descender goes under.
It’s easier to read writing that has a straight baseline rather than text that jumps from
place to place.
Letters that have the same shapes should be a similar size.
A lowercase “e” should be the same height as an “o.”
Capitals and tall letters should be even too.
In the same vein, ascenders and descenders should share a similar length.
3. Avoid tangles.
Long ascenders and descenders can get tangled together.
Make your tall letters ever so slightly shorter, or leave more space between lines.
4. Keep connections tidy.
When we write quickly, we tend to connect letters, which can make words look messy.
When printing, avoid connecting letters.
This will help your writing look neater.
When writing in cursive, some people use curved connectors, but these can confuse letter shapes
or even be mistaken for letters themselves.
Use straight connectors to clearly differentiate them from letters.
5. Slightly slant your writing.
Most people write with a slant when they write quickly, but writing that’s too slanted
is hard to read.
Aim for a slight slant between five and fifteen degrees.
If you have trouble keeping the same angle, experiment with turning your paper.
Right-handed writers can try writing with their page lying vertically,
or angled to the left.
Lefties often prefer angling their paper to the right.
If you’re looking for a pen and paper to
practice with, we have some tried and true recommendations:
The Uni-ball Signo is one of our favorite pens--period!
It has smooth, free-flowing ink that makes it a cinch to practice without pesky hand
cramps.
If you prefer ballpoint pens, the Uni Jetstream is an excellent option.
The ink dries quickly, so it’s great for smudge-prone lefties.
The Lamy Safari is a great choice for fountain pen beginners and experts alike.
Its triangular grip section helps you hold the pen properly.
We recommend using graph paper while you practice,
like this Maruman Mnemosyne notebook.
It has built-in guidelines for your letters, ascenders, and descenders.
Do you have any tips that made your writing easier to read?
Share your advice in the comments below.
Be sure to check out our full guide on how to improve your handwriting at JetPens.com.
Thanks for watching!