If you’re new to serif type design, you might be wondering what’s going on with all that thick–thin stroke stuff. For example, why are the sides of an ‘o’ thicker than the top and bottom? The reason serif type has all that stroke contrast is because serif type evolved from broad-nibbed calligraphy, which produces such contrasting lines.
A long time ago, before ballpoint pens, people wrote with what were essentially sticks dipped in ink. But these writing instruments couldn’t be too pointy—or else they would break. So the nibs (writing points) were made wider to give them more strength. This became what is now known as the broad-nibbed calligraphy pen. Though they’ve since been eclipsed by the ballpoint pen, they are still somewhat common and there are many places you can buy them.
Because the nib is wider than it is thick, when you move the pen perpendicular to the nib, it produces a thick stroke, and when you move it parallel to the nib, it produces a hairline. The angle that you hold the nib determines which angles the thick and thin parts live at, leading to the
stress of the lettering. It’s most comfortable to hold the nib inclined about ten to forty-five degrees counter-clockwise from the baseline, which is why all old style serifs are stressed slightly counter-clockwise from the baseline. (The more modern didone typefaces, increasingly divorced from calligraphy, force the stress to be perfectly aligned with the baseline).
It is nearly impossible to perfectly reproduce a modern, or even a transitional serif typeface with a broad-nibbed calligraphy pen. You’ll run into trouble making didone bowls, and ball terminals can be a challenge. But you can letter a pretty convincing old style typeface with a calligraphy pen, since the old styles are the most direct descendants of broad-nibbed calligraphy.
Among users and designers of serif type, it’s become a very common thing to describe a new typeface as “
calligraphic” when, I imagine, the reviewer couldn’t think of anything relevant to say. “
It’s more calligraphic” is becoming a cliché way of distinguishing a new typeface from the crowd. The truth is, all serif type is somewhat calligraphic, and you can learn a lot about type design by getting a pen and practicing some calligraphy. I have a pink one and I absolutely love it!
For example, if you ever wondered why the
‘c’ is stressed the way it is, with a boldened terminal on top:
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| Some lowercase ‘c’s in calligraphy |
Or why the
‘p’ has that thickened straight segment at the bottom of it’s bowl.
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| Some calligraphic letter ‘p’s |
Here’s an
‘n’ and its
derived letters:
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| A calligraphic ‘h’, ‘n’, ‘m’, ‘u’, and ‘r’ |
A letter
‘k’ and the flare on its leg:
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| Some calligraphic ‘k’s |
And that tricky letter ‘g’ (we’ll get to it), made so simple by a calligraphy pen.
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| Some loop-tailed ‘g’s made with a calligraphy pen |
