by Do you know the difference between handwriting and calligraphy? Most people tend to think that the two are synonymous. While they are certainly related, they are not the same thing.
Calligraphy is more than writing; it’s an artform of creating stylized and embellished letters. Handwriting is just the technique and style you or others use day-to-day to jot things down. Handwriting technically needs to be faster than calligraphy and more practical as well. In your day-to-day writing, you probably don’t spend a lot of time getting each letter perfect. Of course, some people certainly have great or beautiful handwriting, but that doesn’t necessarily elevate it to calligraphy.
Handwriting
Handwriting can be any writing using an instrument held in hand, such as a pen or pencil. The design is what separates calligraphy from handwriting. Handwriting can be in either print or cursive (and some people might alternate between both). Everyone has unique handwriting. Some people might have nice, legible handwriting without much effort while the handwriting of others might look like chicken scratches you can barely make out. Even individual letters may be written entirely differently between writers, such as a lowercase “g” that loops at the bottom or one that stops. Not even identical twins have the same handwriting or signature.
A document’s writer can easily be verified with the handwriting because of this uniqueness. For someone whose handwriting is deteriorating, it can be a sign of various diseases. Dysgraphia is a medical condition in which someone can’t produce legible handwriting. Everyone’s unique style of handwriting is influenced by different factors, including someone’s first language, the place they grow up, and the force and ways used to shape words.
Handwriting has different characteristics, including:
- Spacing between letters, both regular and irregular
- How the letters slope
- The pressure applied to the paper
- The shapes and letters used, plus their specific shapes such as the sharpness or roundness
- Where strokes start and stop
Calligraphy
On the other hand, calligraphy is an artform about creating visually beautiful writing. Calligraphy typically uses specific tools such as special brushed and nibbed pens. The finished product may be purely for artistic purposes or could be used for special occasions such as calligraphy on wedding invitations. In some cases calligraphy can be used to add beauty or flair to practical signage.
There are many different styles of calligraphy, and calligraphy naturally differs considerably by culture and language. It can be categorized into different styles based on particular cultures such as:
- Japanese calligraphy
- Arabic calligraphy
- Arabic calligraphy
- Western calligraphy
- Indian calligraphy
- Chinese calligraphy
Traditional calligraphy
There are different styles based on the Latin alphabet’s history for traditional calligraphy. This style dates back to 600 BCE. Without boring you with the history, some of the styles in this category include: Roman capitals, the Italic script, Uncials, Copperplate calligraphy, Insular minuscule, and Blackletter (gothic) styles. There are many, many more and it’s a simple matter of preference which someone might employ these days, though particular styles will have their own historic purposes and origins.
Modern calligraphy
Traditional calligraphy has strict rules for their styles since it involves replicating a set historical style. Modern calligraphy has its own rules, but the rules are evolving and changing with modern calligraphers. For the purpose of learning, it is usually best to stick to strict rules, but many calligraphers these days look for ways to give their own work some unique flair. The strictness will also vary a lot by culture as well as the purpose behind the completed work.
Tools
Calligraphy uses specific tools for writing, and this is also what separates calligraphy from handwriting. You can think of it like painting or sketching. Yes, anyone can draw a picture on their paper with a pen or pencil, but someone who makes sketches will have a variety of pencils and other tools at their disposal in order to be more precise about what’s put to the page.
It all depends on the design and style of calligraphy a writer intends to work on as to what tools they’ll need to use.
Calligraphy vs Handwriting
At the end of the day, calligraphy is an artform while handwriting is simply a tool of communication. There are certainly some similarities in that they both involve creating letters by hand, but their goals and purpose widely differ resulting in widely different creations between the two.
You may think you have beautiful handwriting, but that doesn’t make it calligraphy. However, if you do take care in how you write letters and strive to make them look perfect, then perhaps calligraphy would be a hobby of interest to you. Check out our guide to getting started if you want to learn more.
