Copperplate Calligraphy Worksheets for Pointed Pen Beginners, 44 Pages

Copperplate calligraphy worksheets help adults learn the traditional pointed pen script with an oblique holder and a dip pen. The 44 pages move from choosing tools and preparing a nib to the true 1:2:2 proportions, the eight principal shapes, each lowercase letter and capital, then joins, words and blank guide sheets.

Both US Letter and A4 PDF files download instantly, and nothing is mailed to you.

How this copperplate calligraphy set builds your hand

The proportions page sets out the 1:2:2 ratio at a 5 mm and a 7 mm x-height on a 55 degree slant, so the height of every loop, stem and capital is never a guess. Next, drills for the eight principal shapes train the hairlines, swelled shades, ovals and loops that form each letter, and a chart links every shape to the letters it creates.

All 26 lowercase letters are taught in families. You see stroke notes and a dark model first, then trace pale gray letters, then write freely on empty rows. The capitals follow in five groups sorted by shape. After that, pages on joins, spacing, words and pangrams bring everything together, and blank slant guide sheets in two sizes support your practice long after the last lesson.

Who this pointed pen practice is for

• Adult beginners taking up traditional copperplate with a pointed nib and an oblique holder
• Modern calligraphers looking for classic proportions, a steady 55 degree slant and genuine pointed pen shading
• Penmanship fans who enjoy a peaceful daily routine of drills, letters and words
• Left-handed writers who want clear advice on grip and paper position

Design and printing

• Elegant, minimal pages on white with gentle blush pink accents that are light on ink
• Generous margins on every sheet, so a home printer will not cut anything off
• Choose US Letter (8.5 x 11 in) or A4 (210 x 297 mm), both portrait
• No dates, so drills and guide sheets can be printed as often as you like
• Every practice page uses a 5 mm x-height, and the guide sheets come at both 5 mm and 7 mm
• Dark models, pale gray letters for tracing and faint 55 degree slant lines, easy on your printer and finished with soft pink accents
• Keep them in a binder, on a clipboard or have them spiral bound at a print shop

Inside the copperplate calligraphy worksheets: 44 pages

1. 1Cover showing a page index, a sample of the script and lines for your name and the date you begin
2. 2Tools and materials. Learn about the oblique holder, firm to flexible pointed nibs, ink for dip pens, smooth 32 lb paper and a few useful extras, then use the shopping checklist, the nib choosing guide and a space for your own notes on tools and ink
3. 3Nib prep and posture. Six steps take a new nib from the packet to ready and show how to look after it, with a grip and posture checklist, notes on pressure, left-hand advice and a quick list to check before each session
4. 4Proportions and guide lines. A diagram at both 7 mm and 5 mm x-height marks every line (ascender, t and d, waist, base and descender) to show the 1:2:2 ratio, alongside a size table, the height of each letter, the 55 degree slant and one row to test your slant
5. 5Shading and pressure, where a ladder shows four stem weights, followed by swell and release practice and fine hairline practice
6. 6Principal shapes 1 and 2, the hairline and the shaded stem. Each shape comes with an explanation, two model rows to trace over and one empty row
7. 7Principal shapes 3 and 4, covering the oval and the compound curve
8. 8Principal shapes 5 and 6, covering the ascending loop and the descending loop
9. 9Principal shapes 7 and 8, covering the reverse oval and the capital stem
10. 10Shapes into letters, a chart of all eight shapes and the letters each one forms, plus two tracing rows that move from shape to letter
11. 11A daily warm-up page: six rows to trace, moving through hairlines with stems, then ovals, compound curves, loops, reverse ovals and finally capital stems
12. 12Lowercase i and u, which open family 1, the underturns. Each letter gets stroke notes, a model row, a row to trace and an empty row
13. 13Lowercase w and t
14. 14Lowercase n and m, which open family 2, the overturns
15. 15Lowercase v and x
16. 16Lowercase o and a, which open family 3, the ovals
17. 17Lowercase d and g
18. 18Lowercase q, c and e
19. 19Lowercase l and b, which open family 4, the ascending loops
20. 20Lowercase h, k and f
21. 21Lowercase j, y and p, which form family 5, the descenders
22. 22The special letters s, r and z, family 6 of the lowercase alphabet
23. 23A full lowercase review from a to z, with model rows, tracing rows and extra empty rows
24. 24Capitals that start from a stem, I, J, F, T, L and S, each shown once as a model with a row to trace
25. 25Capitals combining a stem and a bowl (B, P, R, D), with empty rows
26. 26Capitals based on the oval (O, C, E, G, Q), with empty rows
27. 27Capitals built on points and loops (A, H, K, M, N), with empty rows to practice
28. 28Swing capitals, U through Z (U, V, W, X, Y, Z), with an empty row at the end
29. 29A full capital review from A to Z, with models and tracing rows for every letter
30. 30Numbers 0 to 9 plus the ampersand, shown as models with rows to trace and one row left empty
31. 31Spacing explained, with the n rule, an even rhythm and the right space between words
32. 32Joins at the baseline, twenty letter pairs to trace (in, an, ap, ad and more) and then empty rows
33. 33Joins at the waistline, sixteen pairs that come after o, v, w and b, and then empty rows
34. 34Short practice words, including ink, nib, hello, quiet, linen, maple and velvet
35. 35Longer practice words, from autumn and garden to morning, thankful, journey, sunlight and lavender
36. 36Phrases that start with a capital, such as Dear friend, With love and Thank you, then Best wishes, Kind regards, Yours truly and Sincerely
37. 37The first two pangrams to trace, each with an empty row beneath
38. 38The third and fourth pangrams to trace, each with an empty row beneath
39. 39Common problems and fixes, eight typical beginner issues like railroading and blobs, why they happen and how to correct them, plus space for notes
40. 40A 30 day practice log, a checklist covering every minuscule and capital, your favorite nibs and inks, and ideas for what to letter next
41. 41An empty guide sheet with a 5 mm x-height and 55 degree slant lines
42. 42A 5 mm x-height guide sheet with lowercase models across the top
43. 43An empty guide sheet with a 7 mm x-height and 55 degree slant lines
44. 44A 7 mm x-height guide sheet with capital models across the top

What you will download

• Copperplate Calligraphy Worksheets, US Letter PDF (44 pages)
• Copperplate Calligraphy Worksheets, A4 PDF (44 pages)
• Read Me First, a brief guide to printing (PDF)

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.

Good to know

• You receive a print-ready PDF for dip pen practice on paper. It can also be imported into most note taking apps if you like to plan layouts digitally.
• This is a digital product, and nothing physical will be shipped.
• Printed colors may look a little different from your screen.
• Made for your own personal practice only. Sharing, reselling or redistributing the files is not permitted.
• Digital files cannot be returned, but if a file will not open or print correctly, email us and we will help straight away.
• Use a pointed dip pen in an oblique or straight holder. You will need to supply your own holder, nibs, ink and paper.

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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