An Italic Calligraphy Handbook

Letters are like stories; they have beginnings, middles, and endings, and each part deserves equal attention.

Does the page look well-balanced? 2. Are the margins adequate? 3. Is the meaning or mood of the words expressed well? 4. Have contrasting elements been used effectively? 5. Is there a feeling of overall harmony? 6. Is only one element truly dominant on the page? 7. Are the eyes first attracted to the lettering rather than to empty white space? 8. Is there a feeling of life and energy present?

On the facing page, you will also notice a set of “Old-Style” numbers, that is, numbers that are written at various heights, rather than all sitting on the baseline.