Copperplate script, was formally known as the English Roundhand font. It was a writing style that was predominantly present during the 18th century. The calligraphy masters at the time would use engravers, who used a pointed tool called a “burin” to transfer their writing on to a plate made of copper, hence the name copperplate. This style uses the basic form of cursive letters, but the flourishes are added to make it look more elegant. These flourishes were said to be added by the “command of hand”. This style of writing can be done only with a pointed nib, as there are very thin strokes, and this can easily be achieved using a dip pen.

Engrosser’s script is a calligraphic writing style that was developed and used during the late 1800s and early 1900s in the United States. The primary influence of this script was the various English scripts used before such as the Copperplate Script. In the mid-late 1800s, penmen tried to recreate the script created by the engravers, when they engrossed the writing onto the copperplate with the burin. This new script that was created, used slower strokes and was eventually known as the Engraver’s Script, or the Engrosser’s script.

Unlike the English Roundhand and Copperplate font, the Engrosser’s script is known more as an art form involving the drawing of letters, rather than being just handwriting. It is not known as a “cursive” font, as the pen is lifted from the paper many times while writing – this goes against the basic rules of cursive writing.

This writing style is carried out using a steel nib, which gained popularity during the 1800s. This steel nib is placed inside an oblique holder, which helps the scribe achieve distinctive angled writing. The letterforms usually lean to the right 30º-40º from vertical.

Calligraphy can be very expensive at times, and spending a lot of money on a hobby is a big commitment. Here are a few cheaper options of calligraphy supplies for beginners:

Manuscript Leonardt Copperplate Shorthand Nib

Cretacolor Calligraphy Ink

Speedball Oblique Pen Point Holder 9455

Manuscript Leonardt Natural Wooden Dip Pen Holder

Strathmore Calligraphy Paper

The spencerian script is one of the most popular font styles of calligraphy recorgnized easily all over the globe. Before the typewriter came into existence, this font was considered the standard writing style for all business matters in America. It was developed in the early 19th century, and began to be in use from the 1850s. This writing styles was developed by Platt Rogers Spencer Jr., who used many existing writing styles to develop this elegant, and rather formal font. It was designed to be a writing styles which could be carried out quickly, and still look formal. It was originally written with a quill or a steel nib which was fixed into a straight nib holder.

Calligraphy as an art and a medium of expression has been developed greatly over time. It all started from the reed and quill pens. The first trace of calligraphy nibs found were in Ancient Egypt – these were copper and metal nibs. These nibs were not used later on after they were found because they were not compatible with reed and quill pens, which were in use at the time that these nibs were found. These nibs were not used due to their poor quality.

In 1972, the Times advertised newly invented metal pens, although these pens did not work out in the market as expected. Bryan Donkin – a developer – patented metal pens back in 1811, but these pens did not take off in the market either, and this patent expired 11 years later, in 1822. After the expiry of the patent,  John Mitchell – an English inventor – took the idea of metal pens further and began to manufacture steel pen nibs. These nibs lasted longer than quills and were better than the quills used for centuries ahead, and the nibs did very well in the market. These nibs were manufactured uniformly, unlike quill pens, which would take time to get used to as each one was cut differently. Quill pens also required skill to sharpen them, but these newly invented nibs did not require sharpening, so these nibs were extremely popular in the English market.

Due to the success of Mitchell’s nibs, other manufacturers in Birmingham began to make nibs with the same basic structure, but with added or changed features to fit different functions. These nibs could be broadly categorised into two types of nibs: broad nibs and pointed nibs. Broad nibs were created before pointed nibs (as they were easier to manufacture). These nibs had a broad edge, and different sized of strokes were created by the used changing the position of the pen. The pointed nib is a more flexible nib – it is the one currently used for what is called “dip pen calligraphy”. These nibs are pointed with a slit down the middle, and different stroke sizes are achieved by applying pressure. When more pressure is applied, the center splits open, spreading the ink on a wider area – achieving the thicker strokes. These nibs were used for more activities such as drawing, sketching, mapping, etc.

By 1842, these nibs spread to other parts of Europe such as Germany, but most of the nibs were still produced in Birmingham. By the 1850s, these nibs and pens became cheaper and more affordable. This helped in the areas of education and literacy because writing tools were much more expensive before, and the development of steel nibs meant that more people would be able to use them.

After the development of gel and ballpoint pens, the use of pointed nibs decreased drastically. This is because the gel and ballpoint pens were even more cheaper and easier to use. Pointed nibs were made stiffer, and these pens were called “fountain pens”, and they did not form different stroke sizes and were used for general writing. Recently, flexible point nibs have become popular again as calligraphy has become a hobby now. Many of the original companies continue to manufacture nibs such as Speedball, Brause, D. Leonardt & Co., William Mitchell and Joseph Gillott’s.