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!
