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  • Welcome to TPK! This is your first of 2 free articles. For unlimited access to tutorials and articles, join TPK Premium for less than the cost of a latte.

    5 Free Lettering and Calligraphy Guidelines

    October 30, 2024

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    Calligraphy, Free Printables, Roundup

    The TPK website is home to five free printable lettering and calligraphy guidelines. The guidelines are versatile and handy: you can use them to make orderly envelopes, practice your skills, or use them for projects like quote artwork!

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    Calligraphy Guidelines | The Postman's Knock
    I recommend reading this article to learn about how to draw calligraphy guidelines (and what they’re for).

    With so many resources on the TPK website, it’s easy to overlook some helpful gems. To make it easier, I occasionally compile a few highlights. Today, I’m focusing on free lettering and calligraphy guidelines. TPK worksheets always come with guidelines, but you’ll also find a variety of free guideline printables on the site. Here’s a list, in no particular order:

    1. “Perfect Envelope” Calligraphy Guidelines

    The Perfect Calligraphy Envelope Generator

    These calligraphy guidelines are fabulous for right-leaning, neat letters (like Janet Style or Flourish Formal Style). I like that the guideline trios are pretty close together on this guideline sheet. As a result, you may have some descenders that intersect ascenders on the next line, but I like that look. Here’s an example of what an envelope with these guidelines might look like:

    Perfectly centered pointed pen calligraphy envelope

    DOWNLOAD THESE GUIDELINES

    2. Name Emphasis Calligraphy Guidelines

    I love these calligraphy guidelines because they emphasize the recipient’s name(s) with a larger size. I usually use this template with Janet Style calligraphy (as shown below), but any style will work. For the sake of versatility, this template does not include slant lines. If you find slant lines helpful, please feel free to draw them in yourself.

    Calligraphy Guidelines | The Postman's Knock

    Here’s an example of wedding envelopes that I calligraphed using this guidelines template:

    Janet Style Calligraphy Envelopes | The Postman's Knock
    I used Janet Style calligraphy and iron gall ink to make these lovely envelopes. The A7 envelopes are “Paper Bag” from Paper Source.

    DOWNLOAD THESE GUIDELINES

    3. Christmas Tree Envelope Art Guidelines

    I developed these guidelines for the Christmas Tree Envelope Art Tutorial. The spacing is similar to the “Name Emphasis Calligraphy Guidelines”, but this guidelines sheet includes an extra space at the top for a “Ms.”, “Mrs.”, or “Mr.”

    Christmas Tree Holiday Envelope Art Tutorial | The Postman's Knock

    Once you fill in the guidelines and work some pointed pen magic, you could end up with an envelope that looks like this:

    Christmas Tree Holiday Envelope Art Tutorial | The Postman's Knock
    For exact instructions over how to make envelope art like this, see this tutorial.

    DOWNLOAD THESE GUIDELINES

    4. Hand-Lettering Guidelines Template

    This guidelines template is a little bit different than the rest of the printables on this list because you cut guided rectangles out of it. Then, you write the recipient’s address is in all-caps lettering style (I like George or Stitches) inside of the rectangles!

    Hand Lettering Guidelines Free Printable Template

    Remove the template, and the result will look something like this:

    Hand Lettering Guidelines Free Printable Template
    DOWNLOAD THE TEMPLATE

    5. Calligraphy Exemplar Guidelines

    If you want to make your own calligraphy style exemplar, these guidelines sheets should help a lot! One version includes slant lines, while the other does not.

    How to Make a Calligraphy Exemplar | The Postman's Knock
    It will be easiest to use these calligraphy exemplar guidelines with the help of a light box.

    DOWNLOAD THE GUIDELINES


    Premium Upgrade Option: Practice Guidelines Collection (7 Pages)

    Blank guidelines with slant lines are versatile because you can write on them to practice your calligraphy or lettering! As long as you print them out on 32# laserjet paper, you should have a great writing experience. This set of seven pages is available for a nominal fee.

    Free Lettering and Calligraphy Guidelines for TPK Subscribers | The Postman's Knock

    The collection includes seven guideline printables that you can use for general practice or for projects. It’s totally up to you!

    Free Lettering and Calligraphy Guidelines for TPK Subscribers
    I used the guidelines in this packet to make the calligraphy for the Intermediate Modern Calligraphy Online Course.

    Remember, if none of the guideline templates in this article quite do it for you, it’s easy to make your own! With the help of a pencil and a parallel glider, you’ll be well on your way to orderly lettering nirvana. It’s my hope, however, that at least one of these printouts helps you to practice your calligraphy or make a cool project! And remember, if you need guided practice, there are plenty of free worksheets here on TPK.

    Thank you and enjoy,

    You can preorder "The Calligraphy Book" today.

    *This post contains affiliate links to Amazon

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About the author

Hi, I’m Lindsey Bugbee, the illustrator, calligrapher, and author behind The Postman’s Knock (TPK). Since 2012, the TPK Blog has been a vibrant creative space filled with tutorials and lessons on modern calligraphy, hand lettering, and illustration. After publishing The Calligraphy Book, I wanted to elevate the quality of content even further—so I launched TPK Premium. You can join here to receive access to some of the internet’s best creative inspiration and project tutorials.

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Previous post: Line-a-Licious Watercolor Lettering Tutorial
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90 responses

  1. Joanne Avatar
    Joanne
    October 19, 2020

    Thank you so much for this!!! I’ve been looking for tutorials like this to learn calligraphy with during this time of pandemic-induced isolation. I can’t wait to start!

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    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      My pleasure! Such a perfect time to start 😊

      Log in to Reply
  2. Wendy Avatar
    Wendy
    October 19, 2020

    Very nice guidelines! Very useful!

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    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      I’m so glad to hear that!

      Log in to Reply
  3. Nat Avatar
    Nat
    October 19, 2020

    So useful, thank you!

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    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      Of course! So glad to hear that!

      Log in to Reply
  4. Debra Healy Avatar
    Debra Healy
    October 19, 2020

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful work and artistry. Very helpful and inspiring.

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      Of course! I’m so glad you think so 😊

      Log in to Reply
  5. Joan Lopez Avatar
    Joan Lopez
    October 19, 2020

    Such creativity!

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      Thank you 😊

      Log in to Reply
  6. Lena Wessel Avatar
    Lena Wessel
    October 19, 2020

    Thanks for compiling all of these! It will be super helpful 🙂

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    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      My pleasure 😊

      Log in to Reply
  7. SK Avatar
    SK
    October 19, 2020

    these guidelines were very helpful, thankyou. it really helped me overcome my fears.

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    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      It can be scary at first! I’m so glad they helped 😊

      Log in to Reply
  8. Nichole Young Avatar
    Nichole Young
    October 19, 2020

    These are incredibly helpful! I can’t wait to use them. Thank you for these wonderful resources.

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      Of course! I’m glad they were helpful 😊

      Log in to Reply
  9. Alan Shabu Avatar
    Alan Shabu
    October 19, 2020

    Thank you for sharing these!
    I love how you pay attention to intricate details in drills, be it for a novice or for experienced ones(like drills for spooky art). The fundamentals are important, you make it interesting with exemplars, templates, and more.
    I get excited to try out new stuff when you update your blog posts, and when it arrives at my inbox. Lindsey, I don’t feel left out in my calligraphy journey. Your guidance is unmatched. Much Love!

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      I’m so happy to hear that, Alan! Thank you so much 😊

      Log in to Reply
  10. lexieken Avatar
    lexieken
    October 19, 2020

    Thank you so so much for not only making these available, but SO many of them! I’ve been writing letters more and more now with the pandemic and these are going to help me up my game.

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      October 27, 2020

      Absolutely 😊 I’m so happy you’re enjoying!

      Log in to Reply
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This is just as relaxing to watch as it is to wri This is just as relaxing to watch as it is to write. 🧘‍♀️ DM me for a link to a (free!) worksheet that teaches you how to write this loopy, modern quote. ✍️

#moderncalligraphy #learncalligraphy #calligraphy #handwritten #writingcalligraphy #pointedpencalligraphy #calligraphyvideo #tseliotquote
🎃 Halloween, TPK-style. ✍️ You can find ins 🎃 Halloween, TPK-style. ✍️ You can find instructions for making all of these project (and more!) on the TPK Blog and in TPK’s Halloween-themed worksheets. 🔗 Link in bio, then search for “Halloween” or just browse the Blog and Catalog!

#halloweencalligraphy #halloweenart #calligraphyprojects #halloweencraft #eleganthalloween
🤭 We’re ridiculous. Here’s the story: every 🤭 We’re ridiculous. Here’s the story: every month, @greenleafblue and I host a live creative coffee chat over Zoom for TPK Premium and G&B Patreon members — and we always include a giveaway. This time, we switched it up and picked the winner with a trivia question we made up on the fly. You can see how that went here!

✨ Watch the full chat on the TPK Blog (link in bio → “Blog”).

✨ Join us for the next coffee chat on October 17th by signing up for TPK Premium! I’m thrilled to announce that @sdionbakerdesign will be our special guest. (Her Patreon members can join, too!) And yes, there will be a giveaway. 🎁

👯‍♀️ Fun fact: Jess and I met as roommates studying art history in Paris + Florence way before The Postman’s Knock or Greenleaf & Blueberry existed. Over the years, we’ve nicknamed ourselves Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, Lucy and Ethel… you get the idea. That familiarity definitely comes through in our chats.

#artistchat #artists #artsupplies #zoomchat #creativity #thepostmansknock #greenleafandblueberry
After eight years (and plenty of smudges), my chal After eight years (and plenty of smudges), my chalkboard finally got a makeover! This time, sketching out the design was so much easier thanks to my iPad + Procreate. Once the draft felt right, I used a grid method to bring it to life on the chalkboard. 🖊️✨ Curious how it all came together and find instructions for making your own chalkboard quote art? Check out the TPK Blog to see the process! (Link in bio, then navigate to the “Blog” tab.)

#chalkboard #chalkart #austenquote #janeausten #hyggequote #hyggeart #homeart #artforhome #artprocess #chalk
The iPad + the Procreate app = a total game change The iPad + the Procreate app = a total game changer for chalkboard design! ✨ Today I sketched out this chalkboard layout digitally, which is something I used to spend hours drafting with pencil and paper (with tons of erasing!). Obviously, there were a lot of elements that weren’t working here as I navigated the draft process; but it’s so easy to erase, re-size, or move elements within Procreate. The best part? Procreate gives me a sneak peek of how the chalk will actually look on the board. 😍

Now that the design is ready, I’m excited to bring it to life on the chalkboard itself. Stay tuned for Thursday’s tutorial on the TPK Blog! ✍️

#chalkboardart #chalkart #procreateart #procreateartist #janeaustenquote #artprocess #artdraft
✍️ Lesson 2 of the brand-new Beginner’s Mode ✍️ Lesson 2 of the brand-new Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course just dropped! In it, we’ll take a deep dive into supplies and workspace setup. Then, we’ll do a little preliminary assignment. This clip was taken from the workspace video. In it, I’ll show you how I store my supplies and give you a tour of my workspace and how I set myself up for calligraphy creation success. (Literally: I show you everything, right down to where I put my iPad to keep a movie on in the background while I work.)

Link in bio to enroll in the course! If you’re not taking it, **do**!! It’s already got 3+ hours of video instruction in just two lessons.

#calligraphyadvice #moderncalligraphy #pointedpencalligraphy #artcreation #calligrapher #artstudio
I love watching project timelapses — like a comp I love watching project timelapses — like a complicated calligraphy or watercolor project coming together in a matter of seconds. A cleaning timelapse, then, is a no-brainer! My friend mentioned that she does these when she needs a little extra motivation to tidy up. I was totally feeling that this weekend, so I made a couple of these. The anticipation of knowing that I’d get to watch the room become neat in an instant was actually incredibly motivating. It’s the little things, right? 😉 #cleaningtimelapse #cleaning #tidyingup #neatandtidy
🖍️ We have a million crayons laying around be 🖍️ We have a million crayons laying around because my kids love to color (right now, their pages of choice are K-Pop Demon Hunter-themed). While I’m always down for some adult coloring, I also love to letter with crayons! In the latest TPK tutorial — link in bio — you’ll learn how to make this cozy ombré wax crayon calligraphy. 🍁 Switch up the color scheme if you’re not a pumpkin spice person! This technique looks great with light blue, dark blue, and dark purple; or light green, dark green, and dark blue. #crayoncalligraphy #crayolacrayons #waxcrayons #adultcoloring #autumnart #cozylettering #handlettering #lettering
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