Copperplate Calligraphy Guide Sheet: uses, sizes and printing tips
Copperplate (English roundhand) is written with a pointed pen at a 55° slant. This guide uses the classic 3:2:3 proportions — ascenders and descenders one and a half times the x-height — with 5 mm x-height and slant lines every quarter inch.
How to print it
- Choose the paper size (US Letter, A4, Legal, A5 or Half Letter) and portrait or landscape — the page updates as you change settings.
- Choose a pointed pen / brush layout with an x-height in millimeters, or a broad-edge layout measured in nib widths, then the slant angle.
- Add a title or a name/date header if you want, or keep the page plain.
- Click Print / Save as PDF. In the print dialog choose “Actual size” (100%) and turn off “Headers and footers”.
Tips
- Rotate the paper so the slant lines point straight at you — your strokes will follow more naturally.
- Rule the page to your pen: for broad-edge hands, the x-height is measured in nib widths, so a wider nib needs taller guidelines.
- Slant lines are guides, not rules — keep the angle of downstrokes consistent with them.
FAQ
What is a 3:2:3 ratio?
Ascender : x-height : descender. With a 5 mm x-height the ascender and descender spaces are each 7.5 mm.
What nib should I use?
Any flexible pointed nib — beginners often start with a Nikko G or a Brause EF66.
What do the guidelines mean?
From top to bottom: the ascender line (dashed), the waistline (top of the x-height), the baseline (darker) and the descender line (dashed). Small letters sit between the waistline and the baseline.
Is it free, and do I need an account?
It is completely free with no sign-up and no download. Change the settings, print it or save it as a PDF, and bookmark the address — your settings are stored in the link.
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