7 Steps to Better Handwriting

Handwriting is not a skill we practice much past school, especially now that most of our writing is done by keyboard. But, in certain circumstances, we still get judged by the quality of our handwriting.

Unless you’re a doctor, it’s important that your handwriting be at least legible enough that other people can read it. If yours needs a little care, try these tips to keep your lettering from looking as if it was done by a drunken monkey.

GET THE RIGHT GRIP

How you hold your pen affects how you shape the words on your paper. The tighter you grip the pen, the shakier your handwriting will become. The letters will take on a tight, cramped appearance. Hold the pen loosely and naturally between your forefinger and thumb, with the pen resting on your middle finger – not pressed into it hard enough to leave a mark. Hold the pen at a low enough angle that you don’t have to hunch to see what you’re right.

Handwriting Grip

IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE

You should do your writing sitting straight in your chair with your feet flat on the floor a comfortable distance apart. Relax your shoulders and arms so that your writing arm can move smoothly and freely as your pen flows across the paper. Remember that writing involves your entire lower arm, not just your fingers.

Writing Posture

USE THE RIGHT PEN

This should be a pen that has the right barrel size to allow you to maintain the proper hold and should have a comfortable grip where you can rest your finger and thumb. The ink should flow easily so that you don’t have to force the pen over the writing surface. Check out our article on selecting the right pen here.

SLOW DOWN

There’s no rush when you are writing by hand. That’s sort of the point of writing that way. You don’t get a reward for being the first person to the end of the sentence. Take the time to carefully form each letter before moving on to the next one. Focus on setting a slow, smooth pace that allows each letter to flow into the next without hesitation. Remember to close all the letters. Don’t worry if you make a mistake our guide on erasing ink from paper will help you.

WATCH YOUR SLANTS AND SPACING

One of the keys to neatness is uniformity. If you’ve ever served in the military, you might remember some instructor saying it doesn’t matter if everyone in the unit is wearing their boots on the wrong feet, as long as everyone is wearing them the same. Odd, yes, but the point is that consistency just looks better. Make sure all of your letters slant in the same direction, at the same angle and that there is a consistent amount of space between each letter.

WORK ON YOUR MANUAL DEXTERITY

Researchers in the UK found that children improved their handwriting by playing games that increased their hand-eye coordination. Practice tying knots, shuffling cards, pen spinning or anything else that strengthens fine motor control. Even video games can help – according to a US study, surgeons who play video games are less prone to make errors. If it can help them with something that delicate, it certainly can improve your handwriting.

PRACTISE YOUR LETTERS

Yes, it will make you feel as if you are back in school, but the only way to improve at anything is by doing it. You don’t have to sit down with a textbook and some lined paper like a schoolboy, though. Just make it a habit to handwrite grocery lists, notes to co-workers and family members, bills, whatever will give you the practice you need. You might even start writing in a journal. As you practise, remember to follow all the tips above.

For more about good handwriting, we always recommend the handwriting guide at Paperpenalia.com.

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Tony Bridges

As a seasoned journalist and freelance writer, I've spent over three decades telling stories and exploring the world through the written word. With a passion for writing instruments, I found my niche at The Pen Vibe, a blog that shares our collective fascination with pens, pencils, and other tools that have shaped the art of writing.

3 thoughts on “7 Steps to Better Handwriting”

  1. Loved your article. Nice handwriting also improves self esteem. thanks for the tips. I had poor handwriting till age 40. That is when I wrote from left to right , however when I wrote from right to left ( Hebrew) my handwriting was OK. So I knew i was not dyslexic , just that one language interfered with the other, maybe. It was not a bother to me till in the 1970’s when I attented some courses at John Hopkins College , the English professor held my composition high in the class and said out loud, ” Jason- it looks like you spilled ink on the paper and a chicken walked all over it. It took me another 20 years to correct my handwriting, but I always had a hole in my self esteem because of my handwriting appearance and was very happy when the word processor came along a few years later. Yet , I also was an artist and a biofeeback therapist and combining techniques from art and relaxation exercises with rules for improving handwriting I came up with a program that has about a over a 90% success rate in improving handwriting. I put the methods in a video I produced – ” Anyone Can Improve Their Own Handwritng” and it is available as a streaming down load on Amazon.com you can see a synopsis on the webpage.

    https://sites.google.com/site/improvemessyhandwriting

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