Join us for the all-new Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course, happening now! →

Learn More
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • YouTube
    • Premium Membership
    • Beginner Calligraphy Course
    • Intermediate Calligraphy Course
    • Calligraphy Worksheets
    • Beginner Watercolor Course
    • The Calligraphy Book
  • Blog
    • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Worksheets
    • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Drills
    • Video Courses
    • Brush Pen Calligraphy
    • Handwriting
    • Hand-Lettering
    • Mail Printables
    • Printable Artwork
    • Procreate Worksheets
      • Cleaning Cloths
      • Erasers
      • Glass Jars
      • Inks
      • Kits
      • Mechanical Pencils
      • Nibs
      • Oblique Pens
      • Paper
      • Protectants
      • Rubber Stamps
      • Rulers
      • Straight Pens
      • Washi Tape
      • Watercolors
      • Wax Seals
  • Help
  • Cart
Log in

Your cart is currently empty!

The Postman's Knock written in calligraphy
Subscribe for $1/week
Sign In
  • My Account
    • Account Details
    • Addresses
    • Payment Methods
    • Order Receipts
    • Subscriptions
    • Printables + Worksheets
    • Video Courses
  • Help
Log in
The Postman’s Knock
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Help
  • Premium Membership
  • The Calligraphy Book
Subscribe for $1/week
Sign In
  • How to Use a Parallel Glider (AKA a “Rolling Ruler”)

    December 7, 2021

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    Everyday Skills, Hand-Lettering, Intermediate Calligraphy, Merchandise, Tutorials, Video

    The parallel glider is one of those tools that will surprise you with its usefulness! I reach for it every single time that I go to create calligraphy or hand lettering. In this article, I’ll show you three ways to use a parallel glider with a series of short video tutorials.

    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Pinterest
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsApp
    • Click to share on X (Opens in new window)X
    • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Bluesky
    • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window)Threads
    • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit
    • Click to share on Mail (Opens in new window)Mail
    How to Use a Parallel Glider (AKA a "Rolling Ruler")

    I’ve never been a math person, so my 2014 purchase of a parallel glider wasn’t exactly exciting. To me, the contraption had way too many numbers written on it — seemingly arbitrarily. When I went to draw guidelines for calligraphy, though, it was love at first gloriously parallel roll! Making guidelines suddenly wasn’t a tiresome and tedious task, and slant lines could be whipped up in a few quick swipes. Seven years later, I still use the same parallel glider regularly. Today, we’ll talk about how a parallel glider can make lettering life easier for you.

    What is a Parallel Glider?

    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Pinterest
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsApp
    • Click to share on X (Opens in new window)X
    • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Bluesky
    • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window)Threads
    • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit
    • Click to share on Mail (Opens in new window)Mail

    Unlock Unlimited Creativity, Connection, and Support

    Become a TPK Premium Member to access every blog tutorial, article, and worksheet—plus free downloads, members-only Zoom sessions, and a creative community that grows with you.

    Join Now

    Already a member? Sign in

Sketchbooking

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.

Join TPK’s free mailing list

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow TPK on social media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • RSS Feed
  • Mail
Previous post: How to Protect + Waterproof Envelopes (and Artwork in General)
Next post: Beautiful Watercolor Fir Wreath Mail Art Tutorial (Includes Video)

All-time favorite posts

  • The Beginner's Guide to Modern Calligraphy

    The Beginner’s Guide to Modern Calligraphy

    1.5m views
  • 8 Tips to Improve Your Handwriting (Plus a Free Worksheet) | The Postman's Knock

    8 Tips to Improve Your Handwriting (Plus a Free Worksheet)

    848.8k views
  • Painting with Watercolors for Beginners

    Painting with Watercolors for Beginners

    813.6k views
  • Free Brush Pen Calligraphy Worksheet

    Free Brush Pen Calligraphy Worksheet

    482.2k views
  • How to Write Faux Calligraphy (Video Tutorial + Free Worksheet)

    363.2k views
  • 11 Calming Calligraphy Drills Printable | The Postman's Knock

    Celebrating Six Years of the “11 Calming Calligraphy Drills” Worksheet (Free Download)

    290.8k views
  • Lovely Loose Watercolor Flowers Tutorial

    Lovely Loose Watercolor Flowers Tutorial

    204.2k views
  • The Ultimate DIY Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit

    The Ultimate DIY Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit

    186k views

Latest posts

  • Color wheel created by Jess of Greenleaf & Blueberry
    September’s Coffee Date: Color Theory and ConfidenceSeptember 29, 2025
  • How to Create Beautiful Chalkboard Quote Art
    How to Create Beautiful Chalkboard Quote ArtSeptember 24, 2025
  • Ombré wax crayon calligraphy
    How to Make Ombré Wax Crayon CalligraphySeptember 11, 2025
  • Floral calligraphy by Phyllis Macaluso
    8 Pieces That Helped Me Fall in Love With CalligraphySeptember 5, 2025

Browse by category

Browse by date

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Sorry! Only TPK Premium members can comment on articles and tutorials. You can become a member here. Already a member? Sign in.

Which is your favorite? 👻 🍬 ✋ 🎃 Good Which is your favorite? 👻 🍬 ✋ 🎃 

Good news: whichever one you like best, you can learn how to create it in “Spellbound Strokes”, TPK’s Halloween 2025 worksheet set! The worksheet is available on the TPK site as of an hour ago. In it, you’ll learn how to create these fabulous Halloween-themed motifs ... and get plenty of calligraphy practice under your belt in the process. ✍️

For the worksheet link, see my stories today (10/9), or shoot me a DM. Happy Halloween, and enjoy!

#halloweencalligraphy #pointedpenpractice #pointedpen #dippen #halloweenart #macbeth
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
The Postman’s Knock

About

  • About Lindsey
  • Get to Know TPK
  • Behind the Scenes
  • How I Learned Calligraphy

Legalese

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refunds & Return Policy
  • GDPR Data Erasure Request

Printable Worksheets

  • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Styles
  • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Drills
  • Brush Pen Calligraphy
  • Handwriting
  • Hand-Lettering

Courses

  • Beginner’s Pointed Pen Calligraphy
  • Intermediate Pointed Pen Calligraphy
  • Beginner’s Watercolors

Help

  • Contact Lindsey
  • Calligraphy FAQs
  • Calligraphy Troubleshooting

Subscribe to the Blog

Join over 125,000 creative minds who receive inspiring, value-packed emails from TPK each week. As a free subscriber, you’ll get helpful tutorials, free worksheets, and creative ideas delivered straight to your inbox—plus the occasional sneak peek or special offer.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow TPK on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • RSS Feed
  • Mail

© Copyright 2025 The Postman’s Knock – All rights reserved

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Writing Copperplate Calligraphy

Unlock Exclusive Perks with Premium Plus

Fuel your inspiration and creativity with TPK Premium Plus! Members enjoy three free worksheets or learning resources every month, unlimited video course access, member-exclusive tutorials, and a 10% discount on all Supplies Shop orders.

join today ($15)
All About the Brause Rose Nib

inspiration in your inbox

Let The Postman’s Knock Spark Your Creativity

TPK’s innovative newsletters are an artistic treat. Join the 125K+ subscribers who have already discovered The Postman’s Knock, and receive 10% off your first Digital Catalog order.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.