There seems to be some confusion between Copperplate and Flexible nib handwriting.

Ordinary handwriting can sometimes be enhanced by being written with a flexible nib which creates
swelled downstrokes when a little pressure is applied. The effect can often be very attractive, but it’s
miles away from the handwriting developed from the engraved copies of the lettering produced by the
eighteenth century English writing masters.
For those who would like to handwrite in the Copperplate style but are a loss to know where to start;
this may be of some help.

“Classic” Copperplate is a disciplined hand with no room for personal expression. When properly
formed, the minuscules in particular, are virtually identical from one writer to the next and it is also
difficult to write well. All this sounds very forbidding, but the results can be exquisitely beautiful
and extremely satisfying to write, when the letters are properly executed.

For those just starting out, this routine can be invaluable. There is little here that is new - this is
just my ‘take’ on it.

All the minuscule letters are formed from the basic shapes numbered here from 1 to 7, with the exception of the letters q s x and z which require the shapes 8 to 11 in that order.

With a couple of minor modifications, all copperplate minuscule letters are formed from combinations
of these eleven shapes, as in this example -

There are one or two ‘rules’ which are easy to remember.

1) Copperplate is written at a slope of 55 degrees from the horizontal.
2) All straight lines are parallel in weight from top to bottom and all weighted strokes are as close
as possible to the same width as each other.
3) From upward hairlines, all downward swelled strokes begin just after turning at the top and
the pressure is released just before turning at the foot. This is demonstrated in the compound
curved stroke (no 4). Note that the two elements of this stroke are parallel and are the same width.

Stroke-width consistency is purely a matter of touch, which can be developed over a period of time.

‘Classic’ Copperplate is produced with moderately weighted strokes which adds to its elegant
appearance.
It is possible to write in this style with a fountain pen but the best results are achieved with a
medium-flexible dip nib in an oblique holder.
Excessively flexible nibs should be avoided as they can make consistent control difficult to achieve.
Moderately flexible nibs such as Gillott 303 are ideal for Copperplate.

There is another version of this script known as Engravers’ or Engrossers’ script which is drawn
as opposed to being handwritten.

There is, of course, a lot more to learning this script, but perhaps this may help as a start.

When badly done, the hairline joining of letters in Copperplate writing can sometimes look as though they are stuck on. When they merge smoothly, the writing flows effortlessly from one letter to the next. This small example may illustrate the point.

Most people now use their computer keyboard for personal correspondence. This makes perfect sense for speed and clarity. However, it is nice to retain some of the personal touch of handwriting.

A letterheading produced from an enlargement of a signature, is one way of achieving this. It can be very effective even when the signature isn’t very ‘calligraphic’. The four fictitious examples which follow, were done at normal writing speed. The last two are difficult to decipher, so I’ve added the names to the address lines below.

If you want to have a go, but don’t have access to a computer printer to produce them yourself, choose a good version of your signature and have it enlarged on a good photocopier. Write or type in your address line and pass it to your local copyshop. This is now a simple and relatively inexpensive undertaking.

In the interest of variety, I wrote the first two address lines below, and typed in the second two, with complementary fonts.

Calligraphic quality isn’t the name of the game, here - it’s more a case of expressing your personality through your signature.

Although there are several good italic instruction books currently available, there are many diverse opinions regarding the use of ligatures in italic writing.

From as far back as Arrighi, calligraphers have given instructions as to the rules of joining (ligatures) in Italic and the only consistent factor is their inconsistency!

The more you examine the subject, the more confusing it becomes. In writing Italic, some calligraphers are very sparing in their use of ligatures whilst others join up virtually everything. The books which give rules on the matter are not always the same rules! In a recent post, someone said that joins into the letter ‘a’ are never allowed and, indeed, I have seen that rule in print. And yet….look at the examples below! Even when ligatures are employed, the forms adopted can be quite different.

Hermann Zapf said -
“When writing quickly, connections between letters occur automatically. These can be different from one person to the next.”

Tom Gourdie said -
“Rules are given for ligaturing but should not be regarded as completely binding if handwriting is to be free and natural.”