Copperplate Calligraphy
The formal English roundhand: steep slant, strict ovals and smooth swelling shades.
Updated
Copperplate is a formal pointed-pen script, also called English roundhand, written at a 55° slant with a 3:2:3 proportion and smooth shaded downstrokes. It is written with a flexible pointed nib, usually in an oblique holder, and it is the classic style for wedding envelopes and formal invitations.
Copperplate guidelines: 55° slant and 3:2:3
Copperplate is defined by its proportions. The ascender space, x-height and descender space are in a 3:2:3 ratio, so the loops of b, d, h and l are one and a half times the height of the x-height. Every downstroke follows a slant of 55° from the horizontal.
Draw or print the slant lines and follow them on every stroke. In copperplate, consistent slant matters more than any single well-formed letter, because the eye reads a line of text by its parallel downstrokes.
A 6 mm x-height is a comfortable size for learning. Go smaller once your shades are even.
Tools: nib, oblique holder, ink and paper
- Nib: a flexible pointed nib. A firmer nib is easier to control while you learn; a softer one gives bigger shades with less pressure. See the calligraphy nibs guide.
- Oblique holder: a pen holder with a flange that holds the nib off to the side. It angles the nib to match the steep slant, so right-handed writers don't have to twist their wrist. Left-handers often use a straight holder instead. See dip pens.
- Ink: a smooth, fairly thick ink that holds a fine hairline, such as sumi or walnut ink.
- Paper: smooth, heavy paper that doesn't feather. Cheap copy paper catches the nib and bleeds.
The Nikko G is a common first nib for copperplate because it is firm and durable. Move to a finer, more flexible nib once your pressure control is steady.
How copperplate letters are built
Copperplate lowercase letters are assembled from a small set of strokes. Each stroke is written separately, with a pen lift between them.
- Hairlines: thin upstrokes made with almost no pressure. They connect letters and start most strokes.
- Shades: thick downstrokes. Pressure builds gradually, holds through the middle of the stroke and releases gradually, so the shade swells and tapers instead of starting and ending blunt.
- Ovals: the o, a, c, d, g and q are all built on the same slanted oval. The thickest part of the shade falls on the left side of the oval.
- Turns: overturns and underturns are rounded and the same width in every letter. Sharp, pointed turns are a common sign of rushing.
- Loops: ascending and descending loops cross at a consistent height and stay narrow.
Practice the oval and the compound curve the most. Together they make up most of the lowercase alphabet. The copperplate drill sheet at the end of this page repeats each stroke on 55° guidelines.
The three hardest letters
These letters cause the most trouble for copperplate students.
- s: the shade runs down a curve rather than a straight stem, and the small closing loop at the bottom is easy to fill with ink.
- x: the two halves have to meet at the middle on the same slant, which makes any slant error obvious.
- e: the small loop must stay open and the letter must keep to the oval width, or it closes up and looks like an i.
Copperplate vs Spencerian
Both are 19th-century pointed-pen scripts written with an oblique holder, so they are often confused.
- Weight: copperplate has heavy, swelling shades on almost every downstroke. Spencerian is lighter, with shading on only some strokes.
- Proportions: copperplate uses 3:2:3. Spencerian has a much smaller x-height relative to its tall loops.
- Origin: copperplate comes from 18th-century English writing masters. Spencerian was developed in the United States in the 1840s.
- Look: copperplate looks formal and rounded. Spencerian looks finer and more ornamental.
Common copperplate mistakes
- Blunt shades. Pressure that starts or stops suddenly gives square-ended shades. Build and release the pressure gradually.
- Drifting slant. Letters slowly become more upright across a line. Check every few letters against the slant lines.
- Shading the upstrokes. Hairlines should stay hairlines, including the entry and exit strokes.
- Uneven turns. Turns at the top and bottom of letters should match in width and roundness.
- Railroading. If the two tines leave separate lines with no ink between them, slow down or re-dip, because the nib is running dry under pressure.
How to practice copperplate
- Start each session with oval and compound-curve drills on slanted guidelines.
- Learn the lowercase in stroke families, beginning with i, u, n and m.
- Write short words with plenty of ovals and turns, such as "minimum" and "common".
- Add capitals only after the lowercase is steady. Copperplate capitals are a separate study.
Free copperplate practice sheet
Lowercase copperplate letters and the basic stroke drills, both on 3:2:3 guidelines with 55° slant lines. Print on US Letter or A4, no sign-up.
Copperplate alphabet: lowercase
Copperplate drills: the 8 basic strokes
Why is it called copperplate?
The name comes from the engraved copper plates used to print 18th-century writing manuals, such as George Bickham's The Universal Penman (published in parts from 1733). Engravers cut the writing masters' letters into copper, and the style became known by the printing method.
Is copperplate hard to learn?
It is one of the harder styles, because it has strict rules for slant, proportion and shading, and it needs a dip pen. Learning modern calligraphy first makes copperplate easier, because the pressure pattern is the same.
Do you need an oblique pen holder for copperplate?
Not strictly, but it helps most right-handed writers. The oblique flange angles the nib to the 55° slant so both tines press evenly. Many left-handed writers get the same result with a straight holder.