Blackletter Calligraphy Practice Sheets: Gothic Textura, Step by Step

Blackletter calligraphy becomes approachable with these worksheets for Gothic Textura, written with a broad-edge or parallel pen and built up gradually from a single nib mark to whole words. Across 35 pages you will cover nib angle and proportion, 8 basic strokes, all 26 lowercase letters and 26 capitals assembled stroke by stroke, numerals, words, phrases and guide sheets.

Both US Letter and A4 PDFs are included as an instant download, and nothing is posted to you.

How these blackletter calligraphy sheets teach the Textura hand

You follow the same path a medieval scribe took. First come the 40 degree pen angle and an x-height of 5 nib widths, then the minim, hairline, arch join and broken bowls that together form every Textura letter.

Each row of letters adds strokes one at a time, highlighting the newest in pink, then shows a dark model, pale gray letters to go over and an empty ruled line for writing freely. The reference chart, spacing page and daily warm-up keep your letter texture even, while guide sheets for 2.4 mm and 3.8 mm nibs, complete with nib ladders, let your blackletter calligraphy practice continue well past the drills. A troubleshooting table and a 30-day log show you what to work on next.

Who these blackletter sheets are for

• Adult beginners wanting a clear, gradual introduction to Gothic broad nib lettering
• Modern calligraphy fans ready to learn a historical script
• Parallel pen users searching for guide sheets matched to their nib width
• Lovers of medieval manuscripts, classic style invitations or Gothic headings for journals and certificates

Design and printing details

• Calm, minimal styling: white pages with soft blush pink touches that are gentle on ink
• Roomy margins, so a home printer never trims your content
• Two portrait sizes: A4 (210 x 297 mm) and US Letter (8.5 x 11 in)
• No dates, so reprint the drills and guide sheets whenever you want
• Practice rows are ruled for a 2.4 mm nib with a 12 mm x-height, and guide sheets come for 2.4 mm and 3.8 mm nibs
• Pale gray letters to trace and soft pink guide lines keep ink use low
• Clip it to a board, slot it in a binder or have a copy shop spiral bind it

Inside the blackletter calligraphy set: 35 pages

1. 1Cover listing the contents
2. 2Tools and materials: broad-edge pens, nib sizes, ink and suggested paper, a shopping list to tick and room to note your own pens and papers
3. 3Pen hold and nib angle: a diagram of the 40 degree edge showing how direction creates thick, medium, hairline and full width strokes, tips on posture, advice for left-handed writers and two rows to trace for checking your angle
4. 4Proportions and nib widths: a nib ladder diagram (5 widths for the x-height, 3 for ascenders and descenders, 7 for capitals), a sizing table for 1.5, 2.4, 3.0 and 3.8 mm nibs and three rows for drawing your own ladder
5. 5 to 8Eight basic strokes, two on each page (nib mark, minim, hairline, arch join, left bowl, right bowl, ascender stem, descender stem), each explained with a model, rows to trace and an empty row
6. 9Strokes into letters: a map showing which letters grow from each stroke, with one model row and one row to trace
7. 10Daily warm-up: six tracing rows of nib marks, minims, hairlines, zigzags, the picket fence and broken bowls
8. 11 to 19Lowercase a to z, three letters on each page (two on the final one), each with a hint, the strokes in sequence, the model, gray letters to trace and an empty row
9. 20Lowercase review from a to z with model, tracing and empty rows
10. 21 to 24Capitals A to Z, assembled stroke by stroke with model and tracing letters, six or seven per page
11. 25Reference chart showing every lowercase letter, capital and numeral
12. 26Numerals 0 to 9 plus period, comma, hyphen and apostrophe, with models and letters to trace
13. 27Spacing and rhythm: the picket fence principle, with words to trace
14. 28Word practice: seven words, each with a model and copies to trace
15. 29Three brief public domain Latin phrases with their translations, a model, tracing copies and room to write
16. 30Troubleshooting table of frequent problems and their fixes, with space for your own notes
17. 31Practice log covering 30 sessions, a tick list for a to z and A to Z, and notes on favorite pens, inks and upcoming projects
18. 32 to 35Empty guide sheets with nib ladders: 2.4 mm nib with upright guides, 2.4 mm nib with 40 degree angle lines, 3.8 mm nib with upright guides and 3.8 mm nib with 40 degree angle lines

Files in your download

• US Letter PDF of the Blackletter Calligraphy Practice Sheets, 35 pages
• A4 PDF of the Blackletter Calligraphy Practice Sheets, 35 pages
• Read Me First, a brief PDF printing guide

How to download and print

• Check out with PayPal, a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your download page opens as soon as the payment goes through.
• We email the same private download links to you, so you can download your files again later.
• Open the PDF in a free reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print at 100% or Actual size.
• Print only the pages you need, as often as you like, for your own personal use.

Before you buy

For crisp edges, print on smooth 32 lb (120 gsm) laser paper or a smooth marker pad so the broad nib stays sharp and the ink does not bleed. Reprint the warm-up and guide sheets as often as you like, and keep the reference chart nearby as your model.

• This is a PDF for printing, not a hyperlinked digital planner. You can still import it into most note taking apps and write on it there.
• You receive files only. Nothing is mailed.
• Printed colors can differ slightly from what your screen shows.
• For your own personal use. Sharing, reselling or redistributing the files is not allowed.
• Because it is a digital product it cannot be returned, but if a file will not open or print, email us and we will sort it out quickly.
• Pens, nibs, ink and paper are not part of the purchase.
• Every letterform was drawn by PetiteDiary from a broad-nib model rather than taken from a font. The phrases are traditional Latin sayings in the public domain.

How this was made

Designed and written by PetiteDiary. AI tools helped draft parts of the text, and some background scenes in the preview images were created with AI. Every page was designed, reviewed and checked before release.

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