Handlettering products: Everything you need for beautiful handlettering

Whether it's name tags, menu cards or the beautifully crafted Handlettering birthday card - you need the right tools to create original lettering. From special handlettering pens to the appropriate handlettering paper, the materials for calligraphy are as varied and creative as handlettering itself and of course you get a different result with each of them. 

The different types of handlettering pens

Besides suitable handlettering paper, practice and creativity, the right handlettering pens are the key to success for an individual lettering that pleases. But the choice is huge - from fine to bold, in waterproof UV colours, with or without glitter effect! It's hard to make a decision. An overview of the most important features of the different handlettering pens helps to answer the question: Which one is the right one for my project? 

Fineliner

The handlettering pens with the needle-fine tips made of plastic are available in all shades of the colour spectrum. They can be used to draw particularly precise details, contours and fine lines. This makes them very suitable for classic handlettering fonts such as lettering block letters or the script alphabet. But the pens with tip sizes between 0.01 and 1 mm are also the ideal choice for more filigree lettering as well as for decorative elements, embellishments and small illustrations. If you want to use the fineliner in combination with watercolour techniques, you should make sure to use waterproof pens for the project.   

Brush Pens

For writing thicker or thinner strokes on the handlettering paper - brush lettering - there are special brush pens. Thanks to their special tip - as the name suggests, similar to a paintbrush - these so-called brush pens combine the best of both worlds and make it possible to vary the line thickness with posture and pressure. They are an ingenious tool that offers a multitude of possibilities when creating handlettering birthday cards, for example. Like all handlettering pens, the Brush Pens are available in numerous colours and sizes. Which brush tip - whether small and robust or large and particularly flexible - is best chosen depends entirely on your own handlettering skills:

For beginners, experienced users and professionals

Pens with a small brush pen lead are usually the easiest to handle. They are not too soft and forgive small mistakes. In addition, the fine tip makes it possible to draw particularly small and elegant lettering. Medium-sized brush pens as handlettering pens are a good compromise between an entry-level model and a professional tool. The brush tips of medium-sized brush pens are relatively soft and flexible, but still easy to control. Those who want to become masters of the trade practise with them. Brush pens with a large tip are ideal for drawing large lettering. However, because they have a wide range of movement, unlike the smaller tips, a lot of patience, practice and dexterity are needed to master them.

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Handlettering paper 

Just as important as the question of the right handlettering pens is the question of which paper to use for handlettering. Not all paper is the same and it often makes a big difference, for example, which paper you use as the basis for a beautiful, individually created handlettering birthday card. The choice of the right type of paper depends on the type of project and your own skills as well as the handlettering pens you use: 

Smooth, coated paper

The tips of brush pens and fineliners are very sensitive. When using "normal" printer paper, for example, the flexible brush tips of the brush pen get caught on the relatively coarse fibres of the paper and fray, and the lead of the fineliner even runs the risk of breaking off completely. It is therefore advisable to use a particularly smooth, coated handlettering paper. It drastically reduces the risk of fraying tips and is also forgiving of small beginner's mistakes.  
  

Watercolour paper for watercolour lettering

Whether for illustrations, creative colour gradients or unusual lettering, the combination of watercolour painting and handlettering - watercolour lettering - has now become an established part of the handlettering scene. Satin watercolour paper, which absorbs water better than coated, smooth handlettering paper, is suitable for creating such unique works of art.

In addition to the grain of the paper, care should also be taken to ensure a high weight. If the paper is too thin, the handlettering pencils can be pushed through or even bleed out. A grammage of at least 170 gsm is recommended. This guarantees clean lettering and simply looks better.

Handlettering products in the teNeues Shop

teNeues lives aesthetics and quality. Our passion for beauty and exclusivity is reflected in our new stationery collection. Whether fancy diaries or notebooks, calendars or pens - browse the inviting shop on our website and discover the unique teNeues range. Universal themes such as nature, flowers, pets, cosiness, home decoration and art are included in our notecards and notebooks as well as in the office and games sections. Highlights include our latest collection of 1000-piece puzzles and playing cards for fun at home and on the go.