L8
Writing with a broad nib
Every sign on this site is drawn by one pen: a broad nib held at 35 degrees. Hold yours the same way and your hand will look like the book’s.
| Rule | Number |
|---|---|
| Design box | 100 wide × 140 tall |
| Nib angle | 35 degrees |
| Nib width (thick and thin) | 11 and 3.2 units |
| Thinnest line | Never below 2.6 units |
| Nib to sign height | About 1 to 13: a 2 mm nib writes signs about 26 mm tall |
Order of writing
Shank before bit: write the stroke first, from the top down, and the mark last, the way a key is cut last. Enter firm and leave thin: a stroke starts at nearly full width and tapers over its last fifth.
Marks sit on the bit line, low under the stroke. Three dots go bottom left, bottom right, then top. The ring is drawn anticlockwise from the top. The bar runs left to right, rising a little. The dot above (e) is written after its lower dot: first the dot, then it rises.
Two dots stay two dots in every hand, however fast. The bar is always wider than the stroke’s bowl. That keeps i and the silencer apart.
The practice sheet has ruled lines at the stroke heads and the bit line, with faint signs to trace. Print it at actual size.