So, You'd Like to Hire a Calligrapher
You’ve made the decision to hire a calligrapher. Yay! Calligraphy is a sentimental art that reveals more meaning about your event or commission than words can alone. Choosing to work with a calligrapher goes beyond what words can express and shows how much you care about whatever/whomever the calligraphy is for.
Whether it is for your wedding, a special event, or a custom commission, you’ll want to put in the time and effort to make sure the calligraphy style is a good fit (for example, if you’re having a formal wedding, a whimsical style will likely not do it justice). You need to know what YOU want in calligraphy. Each calligrapher has their own style or works with only certain scripts, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for before you book a calligrapher. Not every calligrapher is going to be the right choice for you – and that’s okay!
In order to better discuss what you should keep in mind when choosing a calligrapher, I’ll be going through a few calligraphy terms that you should also know. It’s important to understand these terms because they help you know what you’re looking for. So without further ado, here’s a few things you should consider along with some action steps to take before you choose a calligrapher to hire.
The Difference Between Fonts and Calligraphy
There are two main words that should be differentiated when people discuss how words look: font and script. (To my graphic designer friends: I realize “typeface” and “font” are frequently interchanged, but for the purposes of this post, I will just be using “font” for both because my main point here is the difference in relation to calligraphy.) A font is a computer-generated style of text, such as what you are reading right now in this blog post. A script is a hand-written style of text, such as what you see in my artwork.
Script: A hand-written style of text, typically used in relation to calligraphy
Many people use the word “font” as a catchall for everything – from what you use in a Word document, to painted signs on the street, to what is used in an invitation. Because people are used to using “font” to describe the style any text is written in, a lot of people use “font” to describe a style of calligraphy, but that’s not accurate. Here’s why: calligraphy is not perfect because it’s written by hand. A font, on the other hand, is perfect because it’s computer-generated. Now, not to make matters more confusing, there are fonts that mimic a calligraphy script, but this fundamental difference between a scripted font and a calligraphy script is still there: Fonts are perfect recreations; scripts are not.
Why does it matter? You need to understand what you’re getting. If you are ordering something that uses a scripted font, know that it’s just that – words typed up on a computer. On the other hand, when you order something written in calligraphy, you’re getting something handmade, written stroke by stroke. A calligraphy script will have slight differences and nuances in like letters since it is written by hand. This is where the cost difference comes in between the two.
ACTION STEP
What are you looking for? Something computer-generated? That’s perfectly okay! Just realize that it is not the same as high-quality calligraphy, and that’s where the cost difference comes in. Computer-generated scripted fonts will cost considerably less than hiring a professional calligrapher.
The Various Styles of Calligraphy Scripts
Finally, you’ll want to figure out (at least loosely) what style of calligraphy you like.
What style of script are you looking for? This is important because many calligraphers specialize in only one or two scripts, and many only do one type of calligraphy. You’ll want to know what scripts the calligrapher is familiar with so you know they can adhere to the style you are going for. This is not meant to be exhaustive, as there are many calligraphy scripts within each category type, but this will give you a brief overview to help you differentiate between the main categories of calligraphy and to better describe what you are looking for.
The three main categories of calligraphy are: broad-edged, pointed pen, and monoline. Broad-edged calligraphy tends to have a bolder, more gothic look to the letters. It is written with a broad-edged nib (pen tip) that creates thick and thin lines depending on the angle of the pen. Pointed pen calligraphy tends to have more sweeping thicks and thins and is written with a pointed nib that creates these thicks and thins based on the pressure used while writing. Finally, monoline calligraphy is any type of calligraphy that keeps the same thickness throughout the entire letter.
Gothicized italic piece by Christen Allocco Turney (@thecalligrapherhristen)
Photo used by permission
Modern calligraphy piece by me (@greencountrycreative)
Modern calligraphy piece by me (@greencountrycreative)
Pointed pen: Written with pens that have a pointed tip; pen pressure determines thick and thin strokes
Monoline: Written with pens that don't change stroke width
Within these categories, there are many, many scripts to choose from. I’m not going to get into the specific scripts in this post, but now that you know the difference between broad-edge and pointed pen, you’ll be able to look up each category and see what scripts there are. As far as monoline is concerned, any calligraphy script can be written in this style, as it just removes the thicks and thins from the regular script.
Why does knowing this matter? Many calligraphers only specialize in one or the other category. I personally do pointed pen and monoline, but do not practice broad-edged. If you have a preference for one or the other, you’ll need to make sure your calligrapher can create what you’re looking for.
ACTION STEP
What category of calligraphy appeals to you most? What suits the style of your event or commission? Look a little further into specific scripts within that category. Then look for calligraphers that write in that script!
For more calligraphy terms, check out this article from Typerie.
Questions?
Do you have any questions about these terms or need help figuring out or putting into words what exactly you’re looking for? Please feel free to reach out! No strings attached. Some styles just aren’t for everyone, and I absolutely get that. Even if my style of calligraphy isn’t your thing, I’d still love to help you figure out what you’re looking for – and perhaps even be able to refer you to a different calligrapher who’d be perfect for you!
Need calligraphy and looking for a classic, romantically modern script? Let’s get in touch!
