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How To Improve Your Handwriting (+FREE Worksheets)

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When someone asks, “How can I improve my handwriting?” they usually look for a few things they can easily implement to make their writing look more legible or presentable.

The problem is that handwriting is a habit deeply ingrained in both the mind and the muscles, so even a tiny change can be difficult to implement.

I’ve always taken a different approach to helping people with their handwriting, one that might require a little more time and commitment but gives the writer all the tools they need to take their handwriting as far as they like.

The approach is to first understand how handwriting works on a basic level, then apply that understanding to improve your own handwriting.

Understanding the Fundamentals of Handwriting

If you don’t understand how handwriting works fundamentally, you will always feel lost when trying to improve your handwriting, even if you are following the advice of a handwriting expert.

When you understand how handwriting works, everything becomes clear. You will know things like:

Why the letters have different heights
Why the letters are spaced the way they are
Why the letters have different forms yet work together to create a cohesive script
The way to position your body, hold the pen, and position the paper for optimal writing
Why someone’s handwriting is more legible or visually pleasing than another’s

I hope you can see that if you understand all the above, improving your handwriting will be a walk in the park.

So your first task, if you want to improve your handwriting, is to learn the fundamentals of handwriting.

The best way to do this is to study a proven handwriting system.

Any time-tested system will do. I recommend American Cursive because it is a beautiful, legible script.

I also have a free course that will teach you everything you need to know about American Cursive.

before and after image example of improved handwriting.

Regardless of what script you choose, by studying one, you will learn how handwriting works, and you will be able to apply what you’ve learned to any other script, including your own chicken scratch.

By studying a script like American Cursive, you will learn these important concepts and more:

Body position , pen grip , and paper position
The grid , or how the lines printed on the page (and the imaginary ones that aren’t) work with the letters
How to write across the page
How a script builds on fundamental strokes and repeats those strokes throughout the alphabet

If you want a taste of how important the fundamentals are, I suggest you watch the video below titled “The Cursive Grid,” which is from my free online cursive course .

What Do You Want Your Handwriting to Look Like?

When you study American Cursive or any other script, you will learn to write in that style, but that doesn’t mean your personal handwriting needs to look exactly like the script you are studying.

That said, traditional scripts like American Cursive were successful for a reason.

They evolved out of the culture in which they were created and have stood the test of time as legible, visually pleasing scripts.

You cannot go wrong by trying to emulate a traditional script, and no matter how hard you try, your script will always have personal quirks that are unique to you.

The great thing about studying a traditional script is that you have a very clear and defined vision to work towards.

Every traditional script has an exemplar, which is the ideal letterforms that comprise the script.

With an exemplar in hand, you know exactly what your goal is, and you can always compare your handwriting to the exemplar to see where you are falling short.

Exemplar of American Cursive Lowercase Letters

If you want your handwriting to have its own unique flavor, I suggest you at least find a traditional script to use as a base.

That way, you can take the exemplar from a traditional script and modify it to make it your own, which is much easier than creating an exemplar from scratch.

Of course, you can create one from scratch too, but it takes a lot of time to do it right, and the result won’t be as good unless you understand handwriting at a high level.

Let’s be clear, you need an exemplar. Without an image of the ideal letters, you will wander aimlessly and waste a lot of time while making little improvement.

Whether you are studying from the exemplar of a traditional script or your own unique creation, you will be armed with everything you need to improve your handwriting.

You’ve Done the Work, Now Apply It

I know, I know.

You’ve already done a lot of work.

Learning the fundamentals of handwriting is no small task and creating your own exemplar takes time too.

The good news is that your handwriting will already look much better by this point.

That’s because your understanding of handwriting is naturally solving the problems with your handwriting without you having to do anything except pay attention while you write.

Of course, there are more active things you can do to improve your handwriting at this stage.

When you understand the fundamentals, improving your handwriting is a straightforward process –

identify errors,
and figure out why you are making the errors.

If you can see an error in your writing and then understand exactly why you are making that error, resolving the error is pretty easy.

Here’s an example.

As you can see, our friend’s handwriting here is very cramped in the horizontal direction.

Fixing this is pretty easy because he’s done the work and understands the basics of handwriting.

Our friend was able to fix this problem because he understands that spacing is controlled by the movement of the hand and that movement is limited by the hand’s range of motion.

He is trying to write too many letters without picking up his hand and moving it to the right.

The problem was easily solved by pausing more often to move the hand and continue writing with proper spacing.

This is just one example of how improving your handwriting works when you have an understanding of the fundamentals.

You have all the tools to identify, analyze, and resolve issues with your handwriting.

How much you want to improve your handwriting is up to you.

As you improve your handwriting, the errors in your writing will become less noticeable to the average person.

However, you will see more and more errors in your writing.

This is because when you are studying handwriting, you are training your eye to see errors, which allows you to see the more subtle errors that previously escaped your eye.

The only way to end this process is to become satisfied with your handwriting or keep working on it for the rest of your life.

Should you become satisfied with your handwriting, writing regularly will maintain it.

Download free handwriting PDF worksheets

In my free online course, Consistent Cursive, you’ll learn all the needed fundamentals to improve your handwriting. In the download section you’ll also be able to download free handwriting worksheets, which include –

Lowercase letters + variations
Capital letters + variations
Numbers & Symbols
Various blank grids for practice

You can check them out on my site by clicking the button below.

Quick recap + final words on improving your handwriting

There you have it, friends.

If you’re genuinely looking to improve your handwriting, this is the best approach you can take.

Little tips and tricks may marginally improve the look of your handwriting.

However, learning the fundamentals will allow you to take your handwriting to a new level.

Here is a quick recap of the whole article –

Understand the basics of handwriting
Pick and study a proven handwriting system, e.g., American Cursive
Always practice using an existing exemplar
It’s easier to use an existing exemplar than to create one from scratch
You’ll be able to apply the knowledge to other writing styles as well (even create your own)
Once you understand the fundamentals, you’ll be able to correct your mistakes
The improvement of your handwriting will depend on how much time and effort you put into it

Once again, be sure to check out my free online course that will teach you everything you need to know about American Cursive.

Now let me ask you something – What has been your biggest struggle with improving your handwriting?

Let me know by dropping a comment below 👇

Thanks for reading!

How to improve handwriting Pinterest pin.

About the author

David has been studying traditional American penmanship since 2016. He has created over 100 videos about penmanship on YouTube and his exemplar for business penmanship was featured in the 25th edition of the Speedball Textbook. You can take his free cursive course online at consistentcursive.com .

8 thoughts on “How To Improve Your Handwriting (+FREE Worksheets)”

Hi, David. I am left handed, and my great niece (10 years old) has asked me to help her with her penmanship since she is also left handed. We will work together this summer. Do you have any tips for us?

Hi! Would you be so kind to point me in the good direction to find a similar set of tools/courses but for PRINT handwriting?

Maybe youtube? Not sure to be honest.

Finally a true web 🕸 All others are like goat at handwriting themselves

I can’t thank you enough; and it’s free! I’ve been struggling with this for some time now and I think you have provided an answer for me.

Sometimes “thank you” is simply too inadequate but right now it’s all I have.

Thank you Jerry

Thank you for the nice comment, Jerry. Super glad to hear you like the article 🙂

I am really happy with the online tutorials and very interesting to see more,learn more.Thanks

Thank you so much for the feedback, Stanley 🙂

50 Ways to Improve Your Handwriting That Actually Work

Whether you need people to be able to read your handwriting professionally or just want to have neat handwriting for yourself, here are 50 tips to improve your handwriting instantly.

My top 10 tips for improving your handwriting:

Adapt your letters to your natural handwriting motion
Learn to maintain a rhythm

Use your natural slant

Start using a fountain pen with a thick grip section
Make sure you enjoy to write

Don't apply too much pressure

Close the top of your letters

Embrace that your handwriting is always evolving

Write on blank instead of ruled paper, pick the right hand for you.

But there are a lot more quick wins to be had, so read on to get a lot more actionable tips you can implement straight away.

Slow down your writing speed, pay attention to what letters you like and dislike to write, find out what motion your hand likes making, let your hand repeat the same motion, design letters that fit your natural handwriting motion, maintain a rhythm, focus on your spacing, use a dot pad for a while, learn these simple penmanship practices, make sure you actually enjoy writing, stop using ballpoint pens, get a thicker pen, relax your grip, write bigger to increase legibility, learn the ergonomically correct writing posture, adapt your line-height to your hand, keep moving forward, simplify your handwriting, reflect on your handwriting continuously, remove any directional changes in your hand, fix the tops of your letters, use a bolder pen at first, copy handwriting you admire, avoid getting overly self-conscious about your handwriting, invest in a good pen, use quality paper, use ink you like, understand the different aspects to good handwriting, understand your handwriting style, don't be afraid to do something badly, look at other people's handwriting, ditch what you don't like, relearn cursive handwriting, print out exercise sheets and practice, test ridiculous fonts using dafont, when you see a hand you like, practice it, try out new letters in your everyday writing, make writing a part of your everyday life.

This is a running list with every idea or tip I've ever encountered on handwriting improvement, so it might not be exactly 50 ideas. I'm constantly adding new tips and ideas, so if you want, you can bookmark this article and come back to it.

Most guides and tip lists out there focus on practice. Sure, you need plenty of practice. But there are so many other non-obvious tricks I can think of that are just a simple change in tools or perspective. The four main categories to improving your handwriting are, in my opinion:

Change of behavior
Changing tools
Different perspective

Why perspective and tools, and so on?

Well, there is one ninja secret to improving your handwriting that only insiders know. And you need the right knowledge and tools to do it. It all boils down to this one thing:

The secret to improving your handwriting is writing more relaxed.

That's it. If you optimize for relaxation, your handwriting will improve dramatically.

I've tried to think of as many actionable tips to help with this I could possibly think of. Some of them you'll already know. But there will also be a lot of nuggets that are not obvious at all. Let's jump in.

Note: when I mention 'hand' , I'm trying to sound more sophisticated. Hand is the word insiders use for handwriting.

One of the main things holding me back in the early days was my fixed mindset on writing. I thought that I needed to be consistent above all. That's a major brake on any development, especially with handwriting.

Wanting to be consistent means you won't try out new things, which means you won't find better alternatives to what you're doing already, which means you won't improve.

The day I realized this was the day I started to make massive jumps in the quality of my hand.

A lot of bad handwriting starts with wanting to write too fast. When I learned to slow down my writing, from beneath my messy hand arose a pretty decent hand. A lot of bad things start with a lack of attention.

You also don't want to go to slow. If you're a very slow writer, that might be the cause of illegible handwriting. Attention is good, but obsession is bad. There's a certain momentum to writing that will help you keep consistent spacing and a consistent baseline. But writing without a hurry will definitely help your handwriting become more legible.

Before changing anything, I suggest to simply pay close attention during your normal, everyday writing.

What letters do you like to write? Which do you particularly dislike writing? Write both down. This will help you figure out how to change your handwriting over time.

Our hands like to make one motion, and despise making another. I've found that for me, I enjoy making the counter-clockwise circular motion. On the other hand, my hand dislikes drawing clockwise circles.

The best way to figure out what you like, is simply drawing connected circles, clockwise and counter-clockwise. Notice where you stumble. You could also use your notes on your favorite and least favorite letters.

Once you understand what motions your hand likes to make, you can adapt your handwriting—more on that in the next heading.

Once you know what motions you enjoy making, you can start changing your handwriting accordingly. I've found that I enjoy writing the most when all letters and movements are made up of the same circular, counter-clockwise motion.

I recommend analyzing your current handwriting and finding any letters you particularly dislike. Now check the motions you dislike. I'm guessing they overlap. You probably need to make a motion you don't really like to make in the first place. For 90% of the letters I disliked writing, that was the case.

Now we simply need to find a way to just make the motion we naturally like making.

For me, designing new letters really was the fun part. I really enjoy trying out new movements and trying to program them into my muscle memory. I'm a drummer by education, so that's what I did.

I suggest taking a sheet of paper and writing just one letter you dislike. Then, analyze which movements you've made.

Once you find the point of frustration in the letter, try to think of ways to change that movement. If you can't think of it, go through handwriting examples images online .

Picking new letters is a matter of 'tasting' them. Feel whether you enjoy its motion more or less than the old one.

You might have to repeat the letter a couple of dozen times before you can really tell. Since your hand isn't yet used to this new letter, it will always feel strange at first.

One of the most important aspects of good handwriting I never hear anybody talk about is rhythm . That's why I am not a great fan of writing in print.

To get the most natural and relaxed hand possible, you want to maintain a rhythm. Ideally, you make a continuous motion, without interrupting.

As with music, the most important thing is to keep on playing. Musicians know this: it doesn't really matter whether you mess up or play the right notes. As long as you maintain the rhythm, it will sound like music.

This also means your letters have to facilitate a continuous motion. Sharp angular motions, or ornamentations that require you to suddenly change direction, will disrupt the continuous motion, and frustrate your handwriting because of that.

However important rhythm might be, my handwriting is nowhere near a continuous motion. I'm still changing out letters every now and then. But that's okay! Over time you'll notice what strings of letters you've enjoyed, and I'll bet they used continuous motion.

Good musicians know what notes to play and how to play them. Great musicians know how to play the space in between the notes.

It's the same with handwriting. For the fastest results, focus on the spacing instead of the letters. There is nothing that improves legibility more than consistent spacing. I have a couple of very good penmanship exercises that will help you with that and are also fun and mesmerizing. I'll show them further on.

To hit home the idea of the importance of spacing, here's a verse of the Tao Te Ching called 'The Empty Space' :

Thirty spokes join in one hub In its emptiness, there is the function of a vehicle Mix clay to create a container In its emptiness, there is the function of a container Cut open doors and windows to create a room In its emptiness, there is the function of a room Therefore, that which exists is used to create benefit That which is empty is used to create functionality Verse 11, Tao Te Ching

If you're working on spacing, I can recommend using a dot pad for a while. These notepads have a dotted grid of 5mm instead of rules. It will help you with both horizontal and vertical spacing.

I use Rhodia's Dot pad, which you can get on Amazon.

Most exercises are boring, and, pardon my French, dumb. Sure, you need to practice. But most exercises are simulating situations that will never happen in real life, without adding anything really. One of those exercises I hate is worksheets where you repeat the same letter over and over. What's the point in that?

So whenever an exercise comes around that is fun to do, I jump on the opportunity.

One of my favorite penmanship exercises is this simple spacing exercise:

And then rotate the paper and fill in the margins with the same letter:

This exercise will help you develop better spacing, but also more consistent proportions. Each letter should be as high and wide as each spacing and vice versa.

You can practice with any letter, and it will help with spacing both horizontally and vertically a lot. It's also mesmerizing to look at, I think.

I picked it up on YouTube from gourmetpens, although I forgot which video exactly.

If you want to learn all my favorite penmanship exercises, you should read this article.

Some people make writing something holy, creating rituals and routines that need to be adhered to. I don't like that at all. I want to like to write by hand, so there are no rules.

I have pens lying around everywhere. I switch ink color whenever I feel like it, sometimes in the middle of a sentence. I have multiple notebooks, sizes, types, notepads, and so on, everywhere. I write horribly, so hastily and untidy no one will be able to read it. I write attentively when I feel like it. If I don't feel like writing, I don't.

I make sure I like to write. I don't want to impose fictional rules on myself.

This "strategy" has helped me to improve my handwriting over the years the most. If you like to write, you'll get used to writing a lot, and your handwriting will become more and more natural over time. Your handwriting will become more personal. And you'll love your handwriting, which will mean you'll love to write. And on and one the circle goes.

When you apply a lot of pressure, your hand will cramp up. To get the most natural hand, you'll have to write as relaxed as possible. It helps with consistency and spacing, but also with maintaining that rhythm we've talked about.

I used to work my pens (and paper) pretty hard. I pressed down quite hard, I imagine. No wonder: I used slim ballpoint pens.

Ballpoint pens might be more modern, that doesn't make them better. In many ways, fountain pens are still the superior pen. They require very little effort and write under their own weight. That's one reason, but there are plenty more.

I recommend at least trying out a fountain pen once. Most stationary stores allow you to test one out without any obligation of buying it. You can get yourself a very good fountain pen that will last you a lifetime for around $15.

If fountain pens are not for you, consider getting a premium ballpoint pen at the least. Those are also pretty affordable. Gel pens are also good. The wetter, the better.

Giveaway marketing pens might be cheap; they're also the worst writers in the world. However, a lot of people write with nothing else but cheap disposable, dry, skippy ballpoints.

Those ballpoints I mentioned have another big disadvantage: they're super slim. Slim pens are not good for your pen grip. Unless you have really tiny hands, a thicker grip section will be better for most people.

With a thicker section, your grip will loosen, and your hand will relax, which means better handwriting.

Anything you can do to loosen your grip will help with improving your handwriting in so many ways. You don't really know until you've tried a very wet, light, and easy-writing pen. Most people never experience this and learn to cramp up when writing. I think this is why most people don't like to write by hand.

However, nearly everyone I know that has learned to relax their grip enjoys writing by hand. It starts with a fountain pen; it ends with writing letters.

Another tip that really helps when first starting out with improving your hand is to write bigger. Larger letters help to relax your grip further, but it also programs your muscle memory. Making large motions will help with internalizing smooth movement.

Many people write tiny. Perhaps we think it's neater. However, graphologists (handwriting experts) think it is because of frugality: you don't want to waste paper. It could also mean you're timid and don't want to take up a lot of space. Whichever it is, it doesn't sound good.

Learning to take up space not only helps you relax your hand, but it will also help your overall posture and improve your confidence in your handwriting.

This is an obvious one that many people mention, so there might be something to it.

Your pen is an extension of your posture.

Sitting the right way will help with finding a more natural hand in seconds.

The correct posture is very simple:

sit up straight with your shoulders relaxed
your elbows should be in a natural, 90-degree angle facing outward slightly
your wrist should be loose and straight
do not rest on your wrist
use your forearm to make large motions

Here's a good visual explanation in a video I've made:

I once read in a graphology book (the study of handwriting) that we naturally want to write at an angle. I don't know why, but that pleased me.

Nowadays, many people write in print to take study notes, and so on. Print is easy to read, but it forces you to right your letters while your body wants to write with a slant.

I recommend trying to find your natural slant and allowing it for a while. A natural slant is anything between 5 and 15 degrees.

I might overdo it: I turn the paper dramatically. It seems as if it rotates a couple of degrees more every year (almost at a vertical position now).

I've once searched for blank notepads for a week before ordering an entire box. I couldn't find any anywhere. It was quite disturbing.

'Why does this matter?' you ask.

If you have a higher hand than most people, you want to increase your line-height as well. Overlapping loops will become illegible very quickly. The quick fix is to adjust your line-height to your hand's height.

You want to choose a line-height where your loops don't overlap. It's either that or shortening those mouthwatering curls and ornamentations!

Since most journals and notepads are ruled nowadays, it can be difficult to use the right line-height. Everybody's handwriting differs, so the standard ruled paper doesn't apply to a lot of people.

The solution is finding good quality, blank paper to use. I love Rhodia Le R. It's great paper. It's all I use nowadays. Here's my proof:

It's a bit more expensive, but it's the single investment in your writing experience that will make the most difference for the smallest price. Check it out on Amazon.

We've already touched on keeping rhythm. In the same way, you want to keep the forward momentum going. This realization ties into a couple of other points I'm going to make further on. You don't want to look back, touch up, or judge your own handwriting while you're writing.

You can do all of that later.

For now, focus on keeping going, without getting frustrated. Your hand will become tidier over time, and there will be plenty of time to write like a superstar now that you're gaining experience.

The forward momentum and rhythm are the most important part. Your arm needs to get used to the fine motions you use when writing by hand. Your body will figure it out automatically, as long as you keep writing.

You doctors out there know what I mean (I suppose a lot of physicians read my website). Simplify your hand until only a horizontal line remains.

Well, that might be a bit much, but we definitely want to keep simplifying our hand over time. As a young lad, I had these horrible Munk-like ornamentations that made absolutely no sense in the larger scheme of things.

In order to simplify, you want to analyze your handwriting every now and then and check for unnatural loops, hooks, curls, and ornamentation.

Keep ditching what you don't like and what looks unnatural.

I've ditched a lot of letters and stylizations, even once I've added through painstaking repetition. If it doesn't fit, ditch it.

If your entire hand is in a counter-clockwise circular motion (like mine), you don't want to loops and ornamentations that crudely oppose that direction.

The most common example of this are hooks. Graphologists think that handwriting with a lot of hooks is the sign of a madman or serial killer. Don't be suspect: ditch the hooks.

Apparently, people recognize letters by their tops. If you make sure your tops are on point, your handwriting will be much more legible.

The two largest and easiest improvements are closing the tops, and using clear connections between letters if you write in cursive.

As a drummer, there was this training concept we used all the time. When I rehearsed for shows and new songs, I started out slowly, making very large and dramatic motions.

I used the full range of motion.

Once my muscles understood the motion, I made it smaller and smaller until it became tiny.

You want to do the same thing with your handwriting. Start big, end small.

If you have trouble making larger motions, use a pen with a broader nib . This will force you to make large movements. I switch between broader and finer nibs all the time, and my handwriting increases or decreases in size accordingly.

Larger motions will help you circle in on finer motions. By training your muscle memory in a big way, you'll get better at small dramatically. It's the best way to program your muscle memory.

If you see something you like, copy it. This could be individual letters, connections, ornamentations, and so on.

I've copied capital letters especially since they can be so hard to get to feel right. But some people find cool ways to connect two specific letters, and it's fine to copy them.

For one, there is no copyright protection for handwriting. Secondly, your entire hand is already copied from others' examples anyways. So go ahead and steal whatever your heart desires.

With all this talk of improvement, it's hard not to get super self-conscious when you write. Here's an important warning: try not to think about it. Remember, our goal is to write as relaxed as possible. This will automatically lead to better handwriting.

If you try to force improvement, you'll only cramp up, and cramping will lead to nothing but typographic disaster.

One of the simple tool changes I'd make is investing in a good pen if you haven't already. I recommend something that writes easily, whatever that means for you.

For me, and most others, this means a pen with a thick grip section that is not too heavy, and writes effortlessly. In other words, any fountain pen over $15.

I already touched on this, but I want to mention it separately as well. Good paper will help your writing regardless of the pen you use.

Most people use cheap copier paper. That's 60 grams paper that feathers like crazy (feathering is when the ink runs). It's rough and very textured.

It works okay with ballpoints, as ballpoints are designed to work on cheap paper. You'll notice the difference when you use a fountain pen, though.

You can get all kinds of paper. I prefer something very smooth. Rhodia's Ivory Satin paper (90gr/m2), for example.

Some brands that have great paper:

Clairefontaine
Tomoe River

If you've never touched a fountain pen, this sentence will make no sense to you. If you use a fountain pen, however, you probably have boxes full of ink bottles at home.

Here's my modest stock:

If you like to write, you'll write more, and your handwriting will improve.

I don't really believe in soul-crushing practice for practice's sake. I'd rather enjoy writing so much that I'll pick up a pen more often naturally.

So use stuff you like to use. It sounds so simple, but so few people actually do it.

'But well, it all costs money.' Sure, but I think that my entire collection of ink cost me about 60 bucks. For a tenner, you could get five ink samples, which will get you through a year of writing. People overestimate what fountain pens cost because they look expensive and decadent.

Try it out. Use stuff you like. See where it takes you.

After all this talk about mindset and tools, let's talk about the most discussed aspect. Technique. So technically, what are we actually trying to improve?

Good handwriting consists of:

consistent spacing
closed tops
clear connections
a clear baseline
the right line-height
simple and natural letters

As you can see, spacing is as much a part of it as the letters itself.

There are multiple styles of handwriting. To understand your own style better, let's quickly go over the styles there are. There are basically three styles:

print - unconnected
cursive - connected
calligraphic - ornamental

Most people nowadays write in cursive, since it's the most legible. It's also the most impersonal. It's the human printer, in a way:

It's also the one handwriting style that is perfect for fine liners, markers, technical pens, and ... ballpoints . Dry pens will skip on, and connecting letters while applying pressure isn't great.

Cursive, however, is the fastest way to write, if you become good at it. And it's the most personal.

Personally, I write in a hybrid print/cursive style, with some letters connected and some separate.

Knowing what you're actually trying to strive for is crucial in improving. Do you want to write in a pure cursive? Then, it's back to basics. You'll have to print out exercise sheets you used to use in grammar school.

Knowing who you'll write for and in what context is also critical in picking the right hand. Will you write longhand in your journal for you to read and no one else? Or will you fill out inventory forms at work?

Typically, I'd recommend cursive for personal handwriting and print for professional handwriting.

Knowing what tools you'll use is the last essential part of picking the right style. If you plan to use fountain pens, it's worth (re)learning cursive. It's just a perfect match. On the other hand, if you'll be using pencils, you might want to write in print.

Improving anything is a delicate mix of trying your best and not caring about doing it badly. If we focus too much on trying hard, we'll get frustrated before achieving meaningful results. So consider doing it badly at first and not caring too much.

The best way to find new ideas for your own handwriting is by looking at other people's hand. I've found numerous ideas for capitals, and I recently copied sbrebrown's lowercase 'z' - which is the classic cursive z:

Where do you find examples? Apart from Google Images (which is not a bad place to start), you can:

check old letters from people you admire
watch fountain pen review videos on YouTube
watch study videos
check graphology books and websites

But the best way to collect handwriting examples is by writing letters to friends and family and collecting their responses.

Sometimes I program new letters into my muscle memory, only to find I still don't like them after a couple of months. Generally, those new letters are better, but not always.

If a letter or connection continues to frustrate me, I will be on the lookout for a replacement. And as soon as I find it, I'll just start replacing the old with the new design in my everyday writing.

I don't really practice. I just try to remember to use the new letter. I don't care if it doesn't look good at first.

When I got into high school, I only wanted to ditch those child-like connected letters from grammar school. So I stopped connecting my letters altogether. I know, I was a rebel.

If you don't know cursive already - or have ditched it as I did - I recommend trying to relearn it. For me, it has sped up my writing tremendously. It also simply was the best hand for me. I already wrote in a cursive manner, with a slant and a lot of forward momentum. When I started using fountain pens again, there just wasn't any reason not to write in cursive. It is the appropriate style for me.

Relearning it has been easier than I thought. I still don't like the s-ess, so I use my adolescent s instead. I'm nowhere near a pure cursive, and I might not want to, but ignoring my false pride and seeing cursive for what it is (a great handwriting style for fast writers), has helped my handwriting tremendously.

Writing on blank paper will seem a bit counterintuitive, I know. Most people assume you'll need more tools, not less, when trying to improve. But I think ruled paper is responsible for lazy writers all around the world.

Joking aside, I've found that writing on blank paper for a decade has really improved my handwriting. How? Well, it forces you to develop your own baseline. Taking off the side wheels and relying on your own judgment will improve the firmness of your handwriting over time. It's amazing how straight you can write freehanded, really.

Also, if you have a higher-than-average hand, you can now use your own line-height. No more overlapping loops.

I hate exercise sheets and never use them. I get bored with them quicker than a dog will eat an ice cream. That's my opinion, and now it's out of the way.

For a lot of people, however, exercise sheets are a great way to improve their handwriting. If you are unlike me (undisciplined and unfocused), you might actually appreciate the repetition.

Repetition is good. It's really good. As a professional drummer, I was all about repetition for a couple of years. It's the only way to train your muscle memory properly. But there's a reason I was constantly broke while gigging as a drummer. I'm no good at repeating something over and over again.

If you are, however, here is a website where you can print out your exercise sheets for free.

It's fun to go through Dafont or any other font library and just pick some ridiculous font and try to replicate it. There are loads of ideas to be found in those libraries.

I don't recommend forcing yourself to use an entirely foreign style. Your handwriting should be an amalgamation of your character. But picking elements, single letters, or ideas for connections or ornamentations is a great way to improve your handwriting over time.

In order to find elements you like better, you will have to imitate others' hand. Whenever I encounter an element I like, I quickly practice it a dozen or so times on a straying piece of paper. It's the only way to tell whether something feels better than what you did originally.

If it does feel better, however, I try to remember using it throughout my everyday writing. My journals are filled with obvious transition periods where I frantically switch between letters, trying to remember to use the new one.

However, it always lands. I'm actually surprised how quick you get at implementing a new letter once you get comfortable with changing up your handwriting. I just recently learned an entirely new 'z' (the one I mentioned before) in just a week or so.

This was a letter I initially thought would take me months to master, simply because it was such an odd shape.

Now for the most obvious of lists on improving your handwriting. I'm actually proud I've postponed this tip for so long.

You want to practice a lot. But practice doesn't have to mean repeating those boring worksheets over and over again. A better way is to take things you'd do anyway, but now take out your favorite pen and write them by hand.

Here are some ideas and things I write by hand nowadays:

Write your grocery lists by hand
Write notes to your friends or spouse
Keep a journal
Write out business ideas
Copy recipes you like (tip: use waterproof ink)
Plan your calendar by hand

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How To Improve Your Handwriting

John Bosley February 7, 2019 Handwriting 15 Comments

If you are like most fountain pen users, you would probably like to improve your handwriting. I know from experience how frustrating it can be to scroll through photo after photo of images with beautiful handwriting on Instagram, only to pick up a pen and struggle to write consistently or legibly. While I definitely don’t have the best handwriting around, I have managed to improve it over the years. Fortunately, there are many different ways to improve your handwriting. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut. They all take time, dedication and practice. If you’re in, read on.

Handwriting Lessons and Guides

One of the best ways to improve your handwriting is to learn a new font. By writing in a way that is different from how you currently write, you can ditch some of the bad habits you currently have and work on developing good habits. One of the easiest fonts to learn is italic handwriting . While it might look fairly similar to your current handwriting, it has some characteristics that make it unique, specifically in the lower-case letters. If you look at any of the letters that have round sections (a, p, q, b, g, etc…) or half-round sections (r, m, n, w, u, etc…), you’ll notice that they are less round and more oval-shaped. Here’s a quick writing example that should show how such a simple change can start to make a difference in how your handwriting looks:

You can see that, although the differences are subtle, adding a touch of italic style to your handwriting can change the way it looks.

Another font that you can easily practice is printing in all capital letters. I started experimenting with this font about a month ago and am really enjoying it so far. While it isn’t an automatic writing style yet, it is starting to feel more comfortable. It really forces me to slow down and concentrate on my writing so I don’t start writing in lower-case letters (which tends to happen from time to time).

How to improve your handwriting capital letters

Writing in all capital letters forces me to slow down, as I have never written like this before.

What if you’ve never learned cursive and now want to? Take a look at these cursive writing worksheets . They should get you started on the path to writing in cursive. While they might look basic, keep in mind that this is how most people learned how to write in cursive. If you’d prefer a video course, I haven’t taken this one before but have heard good things about it.

If you’re not interested in learning a new style and just want some simple practice or solutions to common problems, this large worksheet has lots of writing prompts that you might find fun. Again, it might seem a little basic, but if you just want to practice writing and don’t know what to write, this is a good place to start.

Here are some simple italic drills. When done on a regular basis, you’ll start to notice a change in your handwriting.

Printing And Using The Worksheets

To get the most out of these worksheets, you’ll want to print them out and write directly on them. I would highly suggest printing them on fountain pen friendly paper like HP 32lb Premium Laserjet . By using nice paper for practice, you’ll actually get to enjoy using your fountain pens while improving your handwriting at the same time.

Practicing on good paper makes it more enjoyable.

Using a guide sheet will keep your writing straight and more consistent.

Focus On Details To Improve Your Handwriting

Learning a new font is one way to improve your handwriting, but you can also bring about big improvements by focusing on the details of your current writing style. One of the reasons most people aren’t happy with their current handwriting is because it is not very uniform and consistent. Fortunately, it is not very difficult to make significant progress in this area.

First, take a look at your letter size and spacing. Unevenly sized and spaced letters can make handwriting seem sloppy and irregular, even if the actual writing itself is good. When you are writing, focus on the size and spacing of your letters and try to make them more even and uniform.

How to improve your handwriting letter spacing

More even size and spacing can make a big impact on how nice your writing looks.

Practice, Practice, Practice

No matter how much you want your handwriting to improve, it won’t happen without practice. In order to see a considerable improvement, you don’t have to spend a huge amount of time practicing every day, but you should plan on doing some daily practice. If you’re not used to writing for an extended period of time, 10 minutes might be a good amount of time to start with. As your stamina increases, gradually increase the amount of time you spend writing. A good target time is 20-30 minutes of writing per day.

Keep in mind that not all of your writing time has to be spent doing drills and practice. While it is important to do drills on a daily basis, you’ll also want to do some practical writing. That could be writing in a journal , writing to a pen pal or writing passages from books, songs or movies.

Practicing your writing in a journal is a great way to improve over time.

In addition to how you sit, an important part of posture is how your paper is positioned relative to you. You should sit parallel to your table, but your paper should be turned at a 20 to 45-degree angle so that your writing direction moves away from your body.

How you hold your writing arm also matters. You don’t want your arm to be squeezed into your side, but you don’t want it too far from your body either. Your arm position should be close to perpendicular to your paper and not angling in from one side or the other. Ideally, you will also use your arm rather than your wrist and fingers to move the pen. While it may seem odd at first, decreasing the use of your hand and instead using your arm to write will eventually lead to better control and less fatigue.

Finally, when you’re practicing your writing, keep in mind that your goal is to improve. This means that you don’t need to speed through and write at your typical pace. In this case, quality is more important than quantity. Slow down, take your time and focus on what you are writing and how you are writing it. You’ll be amazed at how much better your handwriting can look when you slow down and focus on the shape, size and spacing of your letters.

Discount Opportunity: Katie, the creator of the handwriting video I linked to, reached out and wanted to offer her course to Fountain Pen Love readers for 50% off! Just click this link or the link in the article for an instant discount. Thanks Katie!

Comments 15

Another technique for improving one’s penmanship is to focus on moving the whole forearm rather than just the wrist to make the letter strokes. This involves more muscles, and larger ones, that help improve accuracy and endurance. If you watch master calligraphers their wrists and fingers barely move at all; the entire arm is used to achieve an incredible degree of fluidity and precision.

I have recently started the practice regimen to change from a lefty side writer to become an under writer, with the paper properly rotated now about 30 degrees clockwise. It takes a lot of time to undo the eye-posture-hand muscle memory to learn the new approach, but I can see improvements after several weeks. I have made my own guide sheets with pairs of 1/8″ spaced lines for the lower case letters, and that pair spaced 1/4″ apart to allow ascenders and descenders not to overlap. This is the same line spacing as in the Doane pads and I find it a good layout for practice. I also ran a series of 60 degree (off the baseline) diagonal lines across the page to help maintain a consistent slant to the letters. This is a bit more upright than other guide sheets that use 52 degrees, but I find it more comfortable as a lefty. I can make a PDF copy for anyone who wants to use it under blank sheets.

This is very true and is something that I’m working on myself. It is hard to break the habit of moving one’s fingers and wrist, but in the long run is probably a good thing to learn.

It sounds like you have undertaken quite the task in changing your own handwriting! I wish you the best of luck and endurance. 🙂

Another important aspect of your penmanship is How you hold the pen. I haven’t visited the video tutorial link and I am sure that is covered, but a brief description here would have be valuable for most writers.

Phillip, this is definitely worth looking into a bit more. I know that traditionally this is what has been taught, but I’m not convinced that it’s actually true. I have tried changing how I hold my pen in many different ways and none of the suggested ways have helped, even after much practice. Still, I’ll see what I can find and update if necessary. Thanks!

I purposely switched to printing in my journals instead of cursive so that I’d get more shading. But as for actual handwriting, I just try to close the loops in my letters and write as evenly as possible. When I’m warmed up and get into my “rhythm,” the words flow and just look better overall.

I do love how much printing bring out the shading in an ink, but there’s nothing like some nice cursive for beautiful handwriting!

I’m going to be pedantic here, and point out that “font” refers to the lettering styles on a computer or word processor.

Handwritten lettering styles are called “hands”. And mechanical lettering styles (typewriters, printing, rubber-stamps) are called “typefaces”.

Fountain pens with triangular grips weaned me out of my 4-finger death grip and dependence on gel pens (esp. those with less ergonomic grip sections). They worked wonders for my hand posture, too, since I no longer felt the need to put too much pressure on the pen while writing.

That’s interesting! I know that they used to use shaped grips on pens when teaching particular handwriting methods. I can imagine they’d also be good for correcting your “death grip”!

I believe the size of a pen is a critical factor. I’ve purchased pens because they’re really beautiful to look at; I don’t use them, however, because they are are too large or small (I’m speaking of the grip/circumference, of course).

Typically, if buying in a store (or at a pen show), one spends a moment of time on a test drive of sorts, writing only a couple words. And, writing at a table or counter while standing is hardly the experience of writing at the office or at one’s desk.

That’s an interesting thought, Marc. I suppose the grip size does make a difference in how the pen feels and how you hold it, so it will probably have some impact on your handwriting. Thanks for the input!

Do these still exist? I used to get triangular soft gel tubes for my x-acto knives to keep them from rolling off drawing tables. Then started cutting smaller triangular segments off for my freelancers, What are you talking about?

I think those soft gel tubes still exist. I feel like I’ve seen them recently, but am not sure they’d be able to fit a fountain pen barrel. I think what I may reference are the triangular grips on a Lamy Safari or Al-Star.

Don’t forget air writing. If you’re practicing a hand, hold your pen up, capped, and make the motions in air, using your whole arm, first a couple of times It gets your mind and arm connected to what you are about to do..

I’ve never heard that before, but have heard that writing on a chalkboard is a great way to learn to write with your whole arm and not your wrist or fingers. I suppose this is very similar.

Easy Ways to Get Good Handwriting

Last Updated: March 31, 2024 Fact Checked

Analyzing Your Handwriting

Changing your handwriting.

This article was co-authored by Courtney Copriviza and by wikiHow staff writer, Devin McSween . Courtney Copriviza is an Elementary School Teacher based in Maui, HI. Courtney specializes in elementary education, classroom management, and social and emotional development. She holds a BA in Communication with a minor in Urban Education and an MA in Teaching from Santa Clara University. Courtney has also taught high school in Madrid, Spain. She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honors Society in Education. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 4,093,915 times.

We’ve all been there: you’re reviewing your lecture notes but can’t seem to make out your words as they run together and tilt off the page. It would be great if you didn’t have to decode your own writing, so is there any way you can make it better? Whether you’re trying to reign in unruly letters or get back your handwriting flair from years ago, we’ll show you the techniques to use to improve your handwriting. Read on to learn how!

Things You Should Know

Find handwriting inspiration online to develop your handwriting style. Copy your favorite letters to incorporate them into your writing.
Write out the alphabet to make your letters consistent. Then, practice writing full sentences.
Hand write things every chance you get. Write out work to-dos, school notes, start a journal, and send letters to friends.

Look at the size of your letters in relation to each other, too. Capital letters should be larger than lowercase ones, while tall letters like “t” should extend past small letters like “a.”

Step 8 Determine the areas that you want to improve.

You don’t have to adopt an entirely new style or copy someone else’s word for word. Just pick and choose certain aspects of different styles to incorporate the shapes and letters into your writing and make them your own.

Step 2 Find a comfortable grip on your pen or pencil.

Your general posture can help improve your writing, too. Wiggle your wrist to loosen it and relax your shoulders as you write.

When you find the type of pen or pencil you like, experiment with different lead sizes and pen tips to find what thickness makes your handwriting pop, too.

If writing the same phrase over again gets tiring, write down some of your favorite quotes and song lyrics, or practice your own name.

Step 8 Handwrite things whenever you can.

To practice your writing every day, start a journal , make your to-do lists by hand, or complete handwriting practice sheets.

Community Q&A

Handwriting Practice Page

Writing equal sized letters makes your handwriting look neat and tidy. Thanks Helpful 19 Not Helpful 0
Use lined paper to help keep your writing straight. Stay on the line, only taking the letters above or below it as required by the letter's shape (e.g. “q,” “y” and “g”). Thanks Helpful 17 Not Helpful 0
Aim to write at least one paragraph each day to help improve your handwriting. Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 5

Tips from our Readers

Writing with a gel pen on smooth paper can make your lines flow better.
Try using a pencil gripper to change your grip.

Don't press the nib, or tip, of your pen hard on the paper as you write. Pressing down hard can cause your hand to cramp, so keep your pressure even. Thanks Helpful 22 Not Helpful 3
Don't throw away your templates or practice sheets. Use these as guidelines as you write to see how the letters should look and what you need to improve. Thanks Helpful 13 Not Helpful 3
To prevent writer's cramp, use your wrist and arm to support your hand. Then, relax your grip on your pen or pencil. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 4
Reuse your practice sheets and paper as much as you can to prevent excess waste. Use the front and back of each sheet and write in the margins. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 6

↑ https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-improve-handwriting/
↑ https://realtytimes.com/agentnews/agentadvice/item/8744-20060406_handwriting
↑ https://www.businessinsider.com/tips-to-improve-handwriting-2014-7
↑ https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/resources/ot-activityinformation-sheets/holding-a-pencil/
↑ https://masgrimes.com/journal/how-to-improve-your-handwriting
↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21395194/
Videos provided by Katie Angel

About This Article

To get better handwriting, write so there's enough space between each of your words to fit an imaginary letter "O," and make sure you're writing your letters straight, not slanted. Practice writing with smooth, even lines instead of lines that are squiggly and uneven. Write every day, and handwrite your notes whenever you get a chance so you can keep improving. To learn about how to fix slants and get better line quality while you write, keep reading the article! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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6 Simple Steps to Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult

Table of Contents

You love the idea of hand lettering and calligraphy. But if your penmanship is embarrassing, how do you improve your handwriting so that you can create hand lettering art you’re proud of?

You’re definitely not alone in the poor handwriting category. Many people struggle with their penmanship and want to improve their handwriting as an adult.The good news? You can practice and improve your handwriting quickly.

In this post, we’ll explore 6 steps to improve your handwriting as an adult, including:

Analyze your handwriting
Focus on consistency
Experiment with writing utensils
Learn traditional calligraphy
Practice—a LOT.

Continue reading for more details on these steps to improve your handwriting!

First Things First: Why You Might Want to Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult

Maybe you’re looking to monetize your hand lettering hobby, or maybe you just want to be able to send a handwritten thank you note that looks like it was written by an adult.

You might even be experiencing judgment from coworkers if your handwriting is illegible or looks like a 5-year old did it.

Improving your handwriting will not only make your writing legible, it will also bring about confidence in your work. As a result, you’ll also be taken more seriously.

And if you’re on this Lettering League site, chances are you might want to improve your coordination so you can use your penmanship to:

Create a bullet journal that is post-worthy
Master your hand lettering skills
Have more hand control when drawing

Improving your handwriting does take LOTS of practice, especially focused practice. Most importantly, you will need to slow down—even the best hand letterers and calligraphers take their time when working on their craft!

First, analyze your handwriting

Before you can improve your handwriting, you first need to do a full audit of your writing.

Write a paragraph or two on paper by copying some text out of a book or from your phone. The more you write, the more you’ll be able to see patterns (good and bad). Take your time, but also try to write at your normal pace.

Once you’re done, you can start to analyze some things about your writing that you wish to improve:

Spacing : Spacing between letters should be consistent, and spacing between words should also match up!
Slant : Does the slant of your letters match, or is it all over the place, tilting left and then tilting right?
Style : Are your letters formed the same, or does your style go all over the place?
Height of letters : The heights of the lower case letters should all match up, and same with upper case letters.
Consistent baseline for letters : Do your words line up on the bottom, or does it bounce around and go astray?
Closing counters : I’m totally guilty of this one… when rushing, do you leave your O’s and similar letters open?
Dotting your i’s : And cross your T’s… blah blah blah.

Once your hand recovers from writing so much (ouch!) try writing the same passage again, paying attention to what you want to improve. Here you can see improvements in my writing already. Sure, it took me longer, but the payoff is worth it!

Improve your handwriting by writing more

As a digital society, we tend to stick to our computers and phones when writing notes and emails. Our hand muscles for writing and drawing are going unused! Muscle memory is important for anything we do, even writing with pen and paper. If you don’t have regular practice, you’re going to have a harder time writing neatly.

Taking 10-15 minutes each day to write neatly and slowly can vastly improve your handwriting. Schedule time into your calendar to write a page or two (like right after a meal or when you wake up). Write as neatly as you can, about anything. Maybe even kill two birds with one stone by keeping a daily handwritten journal.

I personally have managed to vastly improve my handwriting as an adult by journaling and taking notes on my iPad Pro .

Focus on Consistency to Improve Your Handwriting

Consistency is key. No matter what style you practice of your own handwriting, whether it’s cursive or not, you want to find a set of letter styles that you like to write and that look good together.

Practice with varying slopes and angles, heights of your letters, roundness of letters, etc. Once you start to see a style pattern in your handwriting, practice the same letter over and over again (literally fill one page with a’s and then the next with b’s) until you start to feel comfortable.

For slants, you can even create your own angled calligraphy guide and place it under your paper to practice.

Experiment with Pens and Writing Utensils to Maximize Your Handwriting Improvement

There are seemingly countless brands and types of pens and writing utensils available. It’s up to you to find the style of pen that works best for the level of control, line thickness, pressure, and preference you prefer.

For example, some gel pens are too slippery and move too fast. A super fine pen may not work for someone with a heavy hand. Cheaper ballpoint pens may be clumpy and messy.

For basic handwriting, I prefer fine felt tip markers over any other type of writing utensil, because they provide more friction on the paper and help me slow down. You can even practice with an old fashioned #2 pencil in order to help you slow down to improve your handwriting.

Recently, my favorite pens for beautiful handwriting include:

The Pilot G2 for faster writing on more textured paper
The Zebra F301 for slower writing on smoother paper

Learn Traditional Calligraphy to Improve Your Handwriting Skills

I know this seems counter-intuitive. It’s like I’m telling you to run before you can walk. However, I saw vast improvements with my hand lettering after I studied calligraphy. Learning how to form letters traditionally can help you understand consistency and anatomy.

My recommendation: learn basic strokes of brush calligraphy .

Grab a calligraphy book that isn’t for pointed-pen calligraphy (I recommend Calligraphy for Dummies ) and a $1 grid composition book or cheap graph paper. Studying this book helped me slow down (super important!!) and focus on consistent letterforms.

Finally, Practice. Practice. Practice.

I can’t stress how important regular practice is! If improving your handwriting sounds like a chore to you, try to make it fun:

Journal daily—with pen and paper.
Write letters to your friends (because really, everyone would love to receive a handwritten letter!).
Write out your grocery list as neatly as possible.
Leave handwritten notes in your kids’ lunches.
Take notes—even sketchnotes—when listening to a podcast or watching an educational YouTube video.
Start a bullet journal.

Even if you can’t dedicate time to daily practice, make it a point to write neatly for everything you write down—notes at work or school, filling out forms, etc.

All in all, slow down, pay attention, and work to find the handwriting style that is best for you, along with your preferred pen type and paper combination.

What are some ways you’re going to try to improve your handwriting?

11 Comments

I need this course

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Nehal Asgar

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Thanks for this article and share that point of view, I will try out and drill the techniques, slow down and consistence are definitely the first ones on the list with the most leverage.

calligraphy method and practice

D V NIRANJAN

Good article helped me improve my hand writing. It's that helped me slowing down. Now I feel happy seeing my hand writing. Its important. Satisfaction.

Very helpful.

John Jay Napolski

Thank you for your suggestions, I've always had terrible handwriting I think this is an area in my life I would like to improve.

frits dautzenberg

Good advice. I am recovering from a stroke and have trouble holding a pen.

Ghulam Arfat

thanks for advising me because i want to be excellent writer..

How to Improve Your Handwriting: 8 Resources for Better Penmanship

Believe it or not, legible handwriting is still important today. Start practicing your handwriting today!

There are plenty of resources, both online and offline, designed to show you how to write neatly. Below, you'll find a list of only the best of the best.

The handwriting exercises you'll learn from these resources, and penmanship practice you'll gain will straighten out those illegible scribbles of yours in no time at all.

Handwriting Exercises: A Few Common Themes

To save you a little time and to give some extra direction, it's worth pointing out a few common exercises that are repeatedly mentioned in the courses, lessons, apps, and books that follow.

You should always keep these in mind, no matter which of these resources you try out.

Start with basic movement exercises to loosen up.
Practice your handwriting exercises every day.
Slow your writing down.
Learn from writing that you like.

The Basics: Cursive Writing for Adults

This basic 29-part YouTube course on How To Write In Cursive ( the first video is above ) is a thorough place to start. You might feel like you're back in school, but you'll be surprised at how many of the fundamentals have slipped your mind.

Each lesson is extremely short and comes with a free worksheet (which you can find in each video description) to print out to help you practice.

Intermediate Handwriting Exercises

Once you've nailed the basics of cursive (again), you'll likely want to make some improvements to your style to add some more personality or professionalism to your handwriting.

This 14-minute video by professional sign-writer John Neal looks specifically at how to improve handwriting for adults. The valuable content really starts at 2:30, where you'll be shown how to pay special attention to the rhythm, speed, and direction of your writing.

Penmanship Practice: Become a Pro

Next, work your way through this short, 8-part YouTube course taught by a handwriting specialist. Much of the information does overlap with the previous video, but hearing two different descriptions of similar handwriting techniques will only help.

Be sure to regularly practice the handwriting exercises you're taught in these videos to help you create the muscle memory that's needed to really make your new skill stick.

Splashing Out

If you've tried the above courses without seeing much improvement, it might be time to spend a little cash on something more comprehensive.

Udemy has a highly rated 4-hour course titled Improve your Handwriting - Improve your Life . I've not taken this course myself, but many past students cite "immediate improvements" after going through the handwriting classes. The course is usually priced at $75, but I've often seen hefty discounts of up to 85%, so it's worth keeping your eyes peeled.

The aim of the course is to guide you through daily, 10-minute practice sessions to build your muscle memory, causing a positive effect on your handwriting. You can sign up on Udemy for a free preview of the course.

Books to Improve Your Handwriting

If you're looking at using a textbook to help improve your handwriting, there are two books I would recommend.

The first is Rosemary Sassoon's Improve Your Handwriting . The structure of this book encourages adult readers to experiment with styles to find the one that works for them, including left-handers.

The second is Barbara Getty's Write Now: The Complete Program For Better Handwriting . The aim of this book is to help anyone "achieve elegant, legible handwriting" by focusing on writing in a specific italic style.

Apps to Help You Write Neatly

Although handwriting is almost exclusively for pen and paper these days, you can use mobile devices (preferably tablets) to help you practice. Using these apps on your smartphone is possible, but you'd definitely benefit from a larger, flatter area on which to write.

Cursive Practice (iOS)

If you have an iPad, the Cursive Practice app is an easy way for you to practice your cursive writing on the go. The handwriting lessons take you through uppercase, lowercase, individual words, cursive practice sentences, and numbers. You can also change the width and style of your "pen".

Download: Cursive Practice for iOS (Free)

LazyDog Calligraphy (Android)

A similar option for Android devices is LazyDog Calligraphy. With this app, you can choose from a range of different handwriting styles, and you'll be scored for each letter, showing you how you're progressing. You'll also have access to printable writing worksheets, so you can practice the same style on paper, too.

Download: LazyDog Calligraphy for Android (Free)

Remember, for best results, invest in a stylus pen to use with your smartphone, rather than relying on your finger .

Free Handwriting Worksheets

Once you've spent some time studying how to improve your handwriting, you'll need to have some decent worksheets on which to practice.

First off, you should check out our list of free, printable handwriting worksheets . And if they don't deliver, search Google Images for "handwriting worksheets" (searching specifically for large images which are suitable for printing), you should be able to find all you need.

Writing Neatly: Why Should You Care?

Whether you believe it or not, knowing how to write legible, cursive handwriting is still important . Of course, certain common arguments for teaching cursive in schools don't hold up to scrutiny .

For children, good handwriting leads to improved grades. For adults, writing things out by hand can act as therapy , and it can also improve memory.

Yes, you can access some of these benefits even with bad handwriting. But if your scrawls remain illegible, then you lose out on a chunk of these benefits because you simply can't understand what you wrote down in the first place. This means you won't be able to revisit those thoughts again in the future.

If you're looking for an even more pragmatic reason to improve your handwriting, remember that the handwritten note will never be fully replaced by email. When it comes to building your network or climbing the career ladder, Jessica Cleiman believes :

"In this day and age, when sadly we're getting fewer and fewer letters in the mail, a handwritten thank you note, well-crafted on good stationery, will make a candidate [or acquaintance] stand out from others who chose not to take that extra, personal step."

A hand-written note tends to hold more value than a quick email or message. If you are able to craft such a note in decent, if not excellent, handwriting then, you're able to use this as a tool to create deeper relationships and to stand out from the crowd.

A Life of Beautiful Handwriting

Once you've spent a good deal of time practicing the lessons you learn from the handwriting resources mentioned in this article, writing beautifully will become the new norm for you. You can finally have pride in your handwriting. And you can use your new skill in handwriting to start pursuing even more creative skills or perhaps write a letter to a soldier .

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9 Easy Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting

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Today we will finally be talking about improving probably the most accessible type of Bullet Journal lettering – your handwriting.

Are you still writing your grocery list with chicken scratch? Do you worry that people can’t understand what you’ve written when they pick up one of your notes? Or maybe you just want your Bullet Journal pages to have Instagram-worthy handwriting.

You’re not alone!

Many adults have poor handwriting (myself included), but it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few tips and tricks and some practice, you can learn how to improve your handwriting .

In this post, we’ll look at 9 easy ways anyone can use right away to write more legibly and beautifully.

There is still hope for us all! Improving handwriting is probably the easiest type of lettering to master, and you can practice every day without even trying to find extra time – when you take a note, you are practicing!

Having good handwriting is so important; it’ll make you stand out from the scribbly crowd. Not only does neat handwriting make reading notes a breeze, but it also adds a touch of personalization and professionalism to your written communication.

Plus, if you’re a Bullet Journaling enthusiast like myself, you know that consistency and clarity is key when it comes to jotting down your daily tasks and goals.

Pretty handwriting can be a great decoration for your Bullet Journal pages itself.

Aesthetic Handwriting by @bujowithbeth | Masha Plans

However, let’s be honest – we probably haven’t been writing much lately. Our modern world doesn’t require us to write that much anymore (let’s not consider the little scribbles we take during work meetings).

This means that our muscle memory is kind of gone, and the letters that come from under the pen can barely be called letters.

This is what happened when I started a Bullet Journal. My biggest issue was trying to understand what I wrote.

Especially since when I was in school, I was using a Cyrillic alphabet, and, well, my Latin letters were absolutely unreadable, probably something like a 5-year-old would scribble.

But thankfully, there is still hope for us all! Here are some awesome tricks to help you rebuild your writing skills and create your own unique and beautiful handwriting.

Because handwriting is just training your muscle memory, you can do it with just a few simple tweaks and, of course, lots of practice.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting | Masha Plans

Be sure to scroll until the end to get some more resources and a freebie to help you with handwriting and so much more.

Even if your handwriting has improved over time, sometimes we all need a refresher on how to make it even better. And I’ve got just the thing for you!

Here are 9 easy tricks to help improve your handwriting that won’t take up too much of your precious time.

Whether you want to brush up on some skills or start fresh with better technique, these invaluable tips will get you writing in no time

Create A Comfortable Writing Space

The first tip is to create a comfortable writing space. After all, if you’re not comfortable, you’re more likely to rush and scribble, resulting in less-than-spectacular handwriting.

When you start working on your handwriting, be sure you have a comfortable workplace. Let it be a large desk so you have enough space for your paper, and your elbows aren’t hanging.

Be sure to sit comfortably with your feet on the floor, your back straight, and your hand and arm relaxed.

You will do better if you sit straight and your forearm rests on the table, so your arm moves the fingers, not your wrist.

Make sure you don’t forget good lighting, and maybe you need a fun pen or a colorful notebook to get you in the writing mood. But more about supplies next!

Choose The Right Pen

Before you start writing, though, be sure to choose the right pen.

What’s the right pen? Well, that depends on you; choose the pen you feel comfortable writing with.

It could be a gel pen or maybe a fountain pen – just choose the one you like writing and feel comfortable writing with. So better to have a good grip on it.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, choose best pen | Masha Plans

Choose a pen that suits your handwriting style. If your script tends to be on the larger side, opt for a medium to thick point pen.

If it’s on the smaller size, a fine point pen will be your friend. Don’t be afraid to test out different pens until you find the one that feels right.

A grip is also an important thing to consider; if you’ll be writing a lot, you’ll definitely need something with a comfortable grip.

For myself, I also often find that I’m more excited to start writing if I have a pretty pen, so maybe get one as well to feel more motivated to work on your handwriting.

Pick The Right Handwriting Paper

The right paper for practicing your handwriting is the one with a grid.

Having a grid will help you to form your letters better and write straighter.

Just make sure your grid isn’t too small so you still have space to pay attention to each letter.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, choose the right grid | Masha Plans

You can start from a paper you used at school to practice your handwriting – lined with space to form the letters correctly.

I also like using the dot grid since that’s also the grid I use in my Bullet Journal. But I must be honest – my letters on lined paper are much better looking, so I think it’s a better place to start.

Look for paper that has a smooth, even texture, and that’s thick enough to prevent ink from bleeding through. And don’t be afraid to get creative with some fun notebook designs to make your practice more fun!

Adjust Your Grip

The right grip is the one where not a single muscle of your hand is overly flexed, and you aren’t holding your pen as if your life depends on it.

Putting that much pressure on your grip will lead to lines looking constrained, and you will get tired of writing pretty soon.

So be sure you have a relaxed grip and allow your pen to flow on your pages.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, adjust your grip | Masha Plans

I know my grip on this picture doesn’t look that relaxed, and that’s mostly because it isn’t. Adjusting the grip is something I struggle with a lot!

Somehow ever since I was a kid, the only way I could write was with my full weight behind it, gripping the pen as if my life depended on it.

Can anyone else relate?

Play With Paper Rotation

I don’t know about you, but when I was at school, you were supposed to hold your paper at 45 degrees.

This might be the best option for when you write cursive, but it’s not the only one, and it might not work for another handwriting style you’re trying to achieve.

By changing the angle at which you hold your paper, you’ll be able to experiment with how your writing looks on the page. You might even discover a new favorite angle that feels more comfortable and natural.

So let’s forget all the constraints we had at school and just experiment. Try to angle your paper differently and find that perfect position for your handwriting..

Do The Drills

I bet you thought drills were only for brush lettering! Well, at least I thought so, but I absolutely was wrong.

Improving your handwriting also means doing drills, like telephone wires. Use these as a little warm-up before you start writing.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, do the drills | Masha Plans

It may sound tedious, but trust me, it’s worth it. Think of it as an exercise for your writing muscles. Focus on consistency and precision.

Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see improvement right away. Keep up with the drills and watch your handwriting transform into something legible and beautiful.

Here is the secret to aesthetic handwriting – you have to slow down. It does feel pretty annoying when it takes you minutes to write a sentence, but it’s what you need to do when you practice.

The slower you go, the more time you spend writing each letter, and the better they will look.

Here is the trick, though – once you develop the muscle memory and your hand knows how exactly to move to create those pretty letters – you’ll be able to speed back up.

Just be sure you’re going slow while setting your basics, and you’ll see the reward later.

Analyze Your Handwriting

The best way to improve your handwriting is not to invent a new one but correct your existing style. So analyzing your current writing is pretty important.

Start by writing down the alphabet and analyze that. What letters do you like, and which ones you’d like to change? Take note of how you’d like for your letters to look and if the new look you like will fit with the others.

For example that the curved parts of a, o, b, and d are similar – similar circles or oval, depending on what style you like.

Simple Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting, analyse your letters| Masha Plans

The next stage is to write a paragraph and analyze your general writing.

Which letters jump out? Do you have a similar amount of space between the letters, or are some of them too close or too far? Are all your lines angled the same?

Determine what your flaws are and what areas you have to work on.

How To Improve Handwriting: 5 Simple Tips

For everyone who is more of a video learner, I found this tutorial by JetPens , where they share their own tips to improve handwriting.

It’s a great addition to something we’ve already discussed.

Not only are their tips practical, but they also make writing fun again. Now, you can say goodbye to those illegible notes and hello to a newfound appreciation for handwriting.

Trust me, your future self will thank you for taking the time to improve your penmanship.

This post may contain affiliate links. They will be of no extra expense for you, but I receive a small credit. Please see my Disclosure for more details. Thank you for supporting Masha Plans!

Handwriting Supplies

Finding the right supplies is an important part of working on your handwriting, so I thought I’d share with you some of my favorites.

Grid notepad. You need paper to practice on, of course. A journal would work, but if you prefer to keep yours for journaling, try using something like this Rhodia notepad . Or, you can always practice your handwriting by doing daily diary entries.
A thin pen. For smaller handwriting, you’ll need a thin pen, and I recommend Muji Gel Pen ; I love it, and that’s the pen I always use in my BuJo. The only drawback of those is that the grip is not necessarily very comfortable.
A thick pen. if your letters are larger, you might try a different pen, like Pilot G2 . The ink flow is smooth, and the lines are nice and thick. Plus, it has a very comfortable grip.
A fountain pen. I’m not a big fan of fountain pens, but if you want to try them, I recommend a Lamy Fountain Pen . It’s a wonderful pen, and the brand is famous for its fountain pens.

Pilot, G2 Premium Gel Roller Pens, Fine Point 0.7 mm, Black, Pack of 5

Free Lettering Resources

Whether you want to learn brush lettering or improve your handwriting, I’ve got you covered.

More Resources

Want to know more about different types of lettering? You’re in the right place.

Here are just a few more blog posts that you should check out next:

Aesthetic Handwriting Inspirations To Copy Right Away
Best Pens To Improve Handwriting
Free Hand Lettering Worksheets

I’d say you’re not fully equipped to create your dream handwriting!

What tricks work for you the best when you practice your handwriting?

Share with us in the comments!

I hope this post was interesting. If you find it so, please share! If you enjoy my content and want to show your appreciation, please consider supporting me with a cup of coffee .

And remember: Keep Bullet Journaling, and Don’t Be A Blob.

Hi I want good handwriting

Hey! Well, it’s all about practice and you have here all the information about that =)

How To Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult

While the process might make you feel like you’re reverting to grade school, in the end—when your hand-addressed letters look as lovely as those on Pinterest—it’s worth it.

How To Improve Handwriting as an Adult

The trick to learning how to improve your handwriting as an adult is to be able to pinpoint what’s making it difficult in the first place.

Bruce Hanson, CEO , Bruce Hanson is the Founder/CEO of First Choice Admissions and a Test Prep Instructor at UCLA.
Rebecca Mannis, PhD , Rebecca Mannis is a Learning Specialist for Ivy-prep.com.

“Is it that your hand is getting tired? That you never learned how to write cursive or properly form letters? Are you out of practice because you use a computer so much? Does the process of absorbing information during a Zoom meeting or trying to mentally juggle details pull away brain space you would otherwise be able to devote to adjusting the pace at which you are writing?” asks Rebecca Mannis, PhD, a Learning Specialist for Ivy-prep.com . “As with any task or goal, the more you can bring that metacognitive or self-awareness aspect, the more you can identify the contributing factors and find solutions that are relevant to you and that are actionable.”

Once you take the time to address what’s getting in the way of your could-be stellar handwriting, it’s time to take actionable steps to overcome those obstacles.

How To Improve Your Handwriting Based on Your Biggest Hangups

If you’re out of practice….

The fact of the matter is, legible handwriting is less of a concern nowadays than it was once upon a time thanks to advances in technology. Where people used to have to rely on clear handwriting to communicate via letters, to create grocery lists and reminders, and to take notes and organize to-do lists, in today’s modern world, there are apps for all of that. As such, if your handwriting is looking less than spectacular, it could boil down to simply being out of practice. With that in mind, Bruce Hanson , the founder and CEO of First Choice Admissions and a test prep Instructor at UCLA, suggests ditching your electronics in favor of a pen and paper. “Start writing things down on paper and sending letters the ‘old-school’ way,” he says. “Though it’s easier to have these things in the palm of your hand, it really helps with practicing your writing skills. Handwritten notes are that much more personal too, so it shows more thought to your notes.”

moleskine classic, how to improve handwriting as an adult

If your hand is getting tired…

There are two reasons this may be happening: First, a lack of handwriting practice can lead to muscle deterioration, so your hand might just need to get used to writing again. The other reason could be due to the instrument you’re using to write. As such, Hanson suggests investing in a quality writing utensil. “There are so many pens out there now that can really improve your penmanship,” he says.

pilot ball pen, how to improve handwriting as an adult

Another reason your hand may be getting tired is because of how you’re holding your pen or pencil. “Writing can be all in the wrist,” Hanson says. “Start to really focus on the way you hold your pen and how you position your wrist and arm while doing so.” If you find that your grip doesn’t look quite right, consider adding a grip guide to your writing instrument. Doing so will teach you where it’s best to hold your pen or pencil for the most comfortable writing experience.

pencil grip, how to improve handwriting as an adult

If you don’t know how to write cursive…

Since cursive is a bit trickier than traditional handwriting, Mannis recommends using pads that build upon letter formation patterns. “There are also techniques and tools where you can customize the content you are practicing either for information you regularly need to write about—or to mix it up and make it interesting for topics of interest to you,” she says. “As an example, many letters in the English alphabet are built upon the letter C, such as c, g, o, a, d, and q. Clients of mine also use apps and papers that they select in consultation that provide feedback and cues that are relevant to how they function best.”

handwriting pad, how to improve handwriting as an adult

If you never learned how to write neatly…

Take your handwriting back to the basics and begin practicing with lined, doted, or squared paper. “Sometimes writing on a blank slate has your writing in an angle,” Hanson says. “Instead, try adding some of your own lines to the blank sheet of paper. Use a ruler or straight-edge and a pencil to draw your guide lines. Or buy lined paper.”

leuchtturm 1917, how to improve handwriting as an adult

Practice, Practice, Practice

At the end of the day, the key to improving handwriting as an adult is to—like most things—commit time to practice. Hanson says that practicing can be as simple as writing the alphabet over and over again. “Or take steps and write a few sentences and then rewrite them 10 times a day,” he suggests. “[Or you can] pick a word that’s difficult to spell or you tend to always look up and write that down multiple times a day—it helps your brain-to-hand motor skills and tends to [help] you focus a bit more when you’re practicing.”

Whatever you do, just remember: Improving your handwriting as an adult won’t happen overnight. “It is a gradual process, but with a well-developed and executed plan you should see significant changes within a few weeks,” Mannis says.

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Handwriting

So, what exactly is handwriting, explore popular topics.

What do all these words mean?

Looking for handwriting tips, handwriting strategies, tools for addressing handwriting needs, or activities to improve handwriting? Here we’re covering how to address handwriting issues through play and multisensory learning.

Handwriting activities that make handwriting practice fun.

Activities to Improve Handwriting

This is the space to use fun ways to improve handwriting in new writers and children who are not yet writing AND kids who need to correct handwriting problems. This is your one-stop shop for all handwriting activities and writing tips and tools!

Handwriting challenges come in so many different forms! From the child who holds their pencil inefficiently, to the student who was never taught the correct letter formation and now struggles with legible written work, to letter reversals, to poor line awareness and spatial awareness …handwriting is complicated!

Whether you are an occupational therapist working with clients with handwriting challenges, parents of a child struggling with handwriting, or an educator who is struggling to address poor skills…there is something for you.

Handwriting activities kids will love to do to work on legibility of writing.

Read on for pencil grasp activities, ideas to help with spacing, letter size, and line awareness. We’ve got cursive resources, and sensory handwriting activities here. Looking for something else? Let me know what kind of handwriting tools you need!

This is a space where we share tips, tricks, and fun ways to improve handwriting in new writers and children who are not yet writing with a pencil. Scroll down to find the tools you need to address handwriting issues, big and small!

But first, here is a fantastic tool that explains everything you need to know about handwriting. There are so many skills kids need for handwriting .

So many therapists, teachers, and parents have downloaded this resource and added it to their handwriting toolbox. When you enter your email, you’ll receive a series of 6 emails based on the underlying areas that make up handwriting. These emails include topics that really play into legibility of written work, like letter formation, line awareness, spatial awareness, and other areas. The email series is a true resource for anyone who works with kids on handwriting.

Get the free handwriting printable pack and email series here .

Starting at the beginning is essential. These three resources are a great starting point for understanding skills needed for handwriting:

Read about pre-writing skills needed before handwriting.
Get a better understanding of functional pencil grasp .
Read about these 5 things therapists want parents to know about pencil grasp .

Creative Handwriting Activities

You don’t always need a pencil to work on handwriting ! Working on skills like line use, spacing between letters and words, letter size, and paper orientation can involve fun and creative writing activities…without a pencil! Here are some ideas your kids will LOVE:

Easy activities to improve handwriting and ways to help kids work on legibility in handwriting using 30 quick fixes

If you are looking for easy ways to work on handwriting skills , try our 30 day series.

Letter Formation Activities in Handwriting

Use these creative movement and hands-on learning activities to work on letter formation, writing on lines, and spacing between words and letters. Click around to see all of the ideas with Occupational Therapist recommended tips in each post. Stay tuned, because more activities will be added to this page! motor activities sorted by category.

Working on pencil control in handwriting? Why not start a handwriting club for kids? Kids can work on handwriting skills in a fun way. Here’s how to start a handwriting club kids will WANT to join!

Letter reversals tips and help for letter reversals in handwriting

Understand what’s happening behind letter reversals and get some tips and tricks, too.

Toys to help kids with handwriting issues such as visual perception problems.

Toys to Improve Visual Perception- In this resource, you’ll find fun toys that act as handwriting tools to improve handwriting skills. Kids will love playing with these toys that build underlying handwriting skills.

Spatial Awareness in Handwriting – Spacing between letters and words is an essential piece of the handwriting puzzle. Adding more white space between words helps with overall legibility, especially when visual perceptual skills or visual motor integration abilities impact sizing, line use, or letter formation.

Teach Carryover of Grasp Patterns with Molded Crayon s – Working with small pencils or small crayons improves pencil grasp but also hand strength. Use this molded crayon activity to work on carryover of grasp patterns in written work.

How to Start a Handwriting Club – A handwriting club is a great way to incorporate social skills into handwriting. Kids that write together have fun and build skills together! Use a handwriting club as a way to work on handwriting carryover or small group handwriting practice.

How to Teach a Better Pencil Grasp with Molded Crayons – Small molded crayons are a great tool for building hand strength and endurance in handwriting. Have you ever worked with a child that complained of hand fatigue when writing? Building endurance in fine motor skills begins with play.

The Handwriting Book – This comprehensive handwriting resource was created by pediatric occupational therapists and physical therapists. Use this book as a tool for working on a variety of handwriting skills.

Handwriting Accommodation Strategies – Activities to improve handwriting only go so far. Sometimes accommodations are needed in the classroom or home for a functional handwriting status. Try these tips and strategies.

Letter formation handwriting activity for kids to work on pencil control and change in direction.

Letter Formation Direction Change in Handwriting- When forming letters, there are many pencil direction changes that impact letter formation. Part of this refers to pencil control, but another consideration is the push and pull of the pencil within the hand. Try this strategy to improve handwriting through a multisensory writing activity.

Core Strength Impacts Handwriting – Did you know that addressing core strength and posture is a valuable strategy that impacts handwriting legibility? This resource covers how and why this happens. Let’s dive into core strength and handwriting.

Handwriting Problems and Strategies to Help – There are many handwriting issues that are common to see in the classroom, clinic, or home. These handwriting red flags can be addressed with simple strategies, tools, and practice. Try incorporating these ideas into practice.

Writing Trays and Handwriting – Writing trays are a fantastic activity to improve handwriting skills. In fact, when used correctly, writing trays offer multisensory letter formation practice that helps to establish a motor plan for letter formation.

Letter Formation Direction Change in Handwriting – When forming letters, there are many pencil direction changes that impact letter formation. Part of this refers to pencil control, but another consideration is the push and pull of the pencil within the hand. Try this strategy to improve handwriting through a multisensory writing activity.

Bold Lines Handwriting Trick for Line Awareness – using a highlighter or a marker is a great way to work on line awareness and help children write on lines. They marker lines add a bold line that allows for a clear writing line and can be a great way to ensure proper letter size for letters that hit the middle line (a, c, e, g, i, j, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, u, v, w, x, y, z).

Extended Wrist Fine Motor Activity – An extended wrist is needed in handwriting, to enable a functional grasp. When children write with a flexed wrist, they are not exhibiting wrist stability and then use the forearm to move the pencil rather than distal muscle features. A neutral or extended wrist allows for proper positioning of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles to manipulate the pencil while writing.

Additionally, an extended wrist while writing pulls the thumb, middle finger, and pointer finger into a tripod grasp naturally, using tenodesis, due to the musculature of the forearm and hand.

Tenodesis grasp and release occurs as a result of tendons in the forearm and fingers that travel over multiple joints. As a result, the tendons act as a big pulley system allowing the extension of the wrist to pull the fingers into flexion. Tenodesis grasp and release can be used to benefit a grasp on the pencil when writing.

Handwriting On-the-Go Practice Clipboard – Working on handwriting doesn’t need to be boring or happen only at a table. This DIY clipboard activity doubles as a slant board that allows for proper positioning of the wrist and fingers in a functional pencil grasp.

Children can use this handwriting practice clipboard as their personal “desk” to write and move that pencil while out and about, in the car, or in places where a desk may not work out physically.

Natural Handwriting Activities for Summer – Just like the “Summer slide” that happens with math or reading, a summer slide can occur with handwriting! The nice thing is that often times, children are still moving, playing, and building muscle skills during natural summer play experiences.

But, with this resource, you can help kids continue to work on handwriting skills in fun, meaningful, and motivating writing experiences during the Summer months. Activities like writing letters, making a Summer bucket list, writing notes, and making shopping lists are ways to work on letter formation in ways that don’t seem like writing practice.

Motor Planning and Handwriting – When children learn to write, and they practice letter formation, they are establishing a motor plan, or muscle memory for letter formation. This is a powerful tool for functional handwriting, because if we all had to look up each letter’s formation when we write, it would definitely not be functional in the way of writing speed! This resource describes more in detail about the motor planning piece of handwriting skills.

Line Awareness Writing Activities

Writing on the lines can make handwriting go from sloppy to legible. Here you will find resources to help kids write on the lines when copying written work from both a near point and far point such as a the board. These line awareness activities are strategies to improve legibility by addressing writing lines in handwriting.

Color Mixing Rainbow Writing Letter Formation Activity – You may have seen rainbow writing activities for young elementary aged children to practice spelling words. However, this rainbow writing activity uses markers and a color-changing multisensory activity to work on pencil control and line awareness. When kids trace over the lines they can see where their marker moves off the lines.

Line Awareness Handout – This free handout covers all things line awareness. Access this handwriting worksheet in our free Handwriting Tips and Tricks series, and use the handout to recommend tactics to work on line awareness.

Line and Spatial Awareness with Graph Paper – Graph paper is a great way to work on spatial awareness, letter sizing, and line awareness. Writing each letter within the boxes enables children to focus on the spatial restraints of lines on a paper. This is a great way to build the perceptual skills to keep a pencil within a writing space such as baselines and middle or top lines when writing.

Cursive Writing Lines Art – This activity was done using cursive letters, but you could work on formation of printed handwriting as well. Make creative art that builds letter formation and line awareness as well. Children can trace over the lines, build fine motor skills, and carryover of line awareness with this fun activity.

Pre-Writing Lines with Leaves – Building line awareness and the directionality of lines is a pre-writing concept that begins with recognizing shapes and then copying those shapes to connect the lines. This carries over to formation of letters and placement on lines within a writing space. This is a fantastic pre-writing activity that uses leaves and multi-sensory learning that will “stick”!

Pre-Writing Lines Fine Motor Activity – Continue the pre-writing lines skills with this resistive fine motor activity that builds a muscle memory of pre-writing lines shapes and forms. This is a great way to build skills in spatial and line awareness.

Tips and Tricks for Writing and Coloring Within Lines – These tips and tricks can be used to help kids with spatial awareness and line awareness in coloring as well as handwriting.

Pre-Writing Handwriting Lines – This pre-writing lines activity gets kids forming lines in a given space, a great activity that transfers to handwriting and forming letters in a space on lines.

Creative Ways to Work on Line Awareness – These line awareness activities and information go into more detail on the implications of line use in handwriting, tips to improve writing lines, and carryover skills.

Sky Ground Writing Method – The sky and ground method of line awareness helps children to visualize the top and bottom line spaces for movement of the pencil to form letters. This DIY writing line paper can be made with just two markers.

Trouble with Margins – Margin awareness is a visual perceptual concept involved in handwriting that isn’t always addressed until you see writing moving across the page, or trouble with writing lists. This activity can help with organization on the page.

How to help with carryover of handwriting skills

Pencil Grasp Activities

Pencil grasp plays a role in handwriting, especially when considering a functional pencil grasp. For more information and tools to promote a functional pencil grasp, be sure to join the Pencil Grasp Challenge .

The activities below help to promote a functional grasp by improving the fine motor skills needed for hand strength, open thumb web space, separation of the sides of the hand, and endurance when writing which all play a role in a functional grasp in handwriting.

write with a small pencil for a better grasp

Small Pencil Trick for Helping with Pencil Grasp – Using a small pencil like a golf pencil promotes a more functional pencil grasp because the positioning needed to grasp and move the pencil requires more precise motor movements and pulls the thumb into an open web space. Don’t have a golf pencil? Use the tips in this blog post.

Thumb IP Joint Flexion Pencil Grasp Trick – This pencil grasp trick promotes awareness of an open thumb web space by opening the space between the thumb and the pointer finger and adding rotation to the thumb MP joint into opposition so the pencil is grasped. The precision motor movements of thumb IP flexion allow for precision of grasp. This is a fun activity kids will love!

Thumb Opposition – Thumb opposition allows for precision of grasp and a refined ability to manipulate a pencil when writing. Opposition activities like this one allow for eye-hand coordination development, as well as bilateral coordination, and strengthening of the arch or intrinsic muscles which are necessary for fine motor tasks like writing with endurance.

Magnetic Spoons and Handwriting Game – This fine motor activity works on eye-hand coordination and grasp skills, both of which are needed for handwriting!

Mechanical Pencil for Writing Too Dark or Too Light – This activity for handwriting addresses pencil pressure. When kids write too hard that they break the pencil point, addressing proprioception through the pencil is needed. Drawing awareness to this can help and using a mechanical pencil is a great way to work on pencil pressure in writing.

Easy DIY Slant Board and WHY Use a Slant Board? A slant board is a handwriting tool that kids can use to work on accuracy and pencil grasp. This resource explains why using a slant board is important.

$fine motor rainbow$

Fine Motor Play Dough Intrinsic Muscle Strength – This intrinsic hand strength activity is a fun way to work on the fine motor skills needed for pencil grasp and endurance when writing.

Pencil Control Exercises – Pencil control is an essential part of handwriting skills that impact letter formation, neatness of letters, and placement on lines or given writing spaces. Use these pencil control exercises to build hand strength and visual motor skills.

Rainbow Hundreds Chart – This rainbow fine motor activity is a great way to work on precision in pencil grasp.

Handwriting Quick Check Self-Assessment List – Use this handwriting self-assessment to check for handwriting skills with writing tasks.

Coban Wrap Pencil Grip – Coban is a therapy tool that many occupational therpaists have in their therapy bag! Use coban to create a DIY pencil grip that molds to the child’s fingertips.

Distal Finger Control Exercises – These distal control exercises promote precision and movement of the pencil in small spaces, using movements needed for writing letters of the alphabet.

Spatial Awareness & Line Awareness Activity Without Handwriting – This spatial awareness activity is a handwriting activity that helps kids to work on bilateral coordination needed to write and hold the paper with their assisting hand. It’s also a great way to work on pencil control, motor planning, and eye-hand coordination, skills needed for handwriting and letter formation!

Omitting Letters and Words when Copying – Sometimes kids have trouble with copying written material and omitting letters or words when they copy. This can be a visual perceptual skill that results in errors. This resource covers letter omission in handwriting.

Handwriting and Visual Perception with Tangrams – Working with tangrams is a visual perception activity that helps with spatial awareness and the visual discrimination skills needed in handwriting. Try these tangram activities to help.

A Complete Guide to Handwriting – This blog post includes many links to handwriting activities and resources.

Paper Position Desk Paper Positioner – Positioning paper is a big part of handwriting. This resource includes information on how the paper should be positioned and how to add a visual prompt to promote better paper positioning when writing.

DIY Desk Fidget Tool – Use this DIY desk fidget toy to help with attention during handwriting tasks.

Use a Timer to Help with Letter Formation – Forming letters a problem? Try this timer activity to work on letter formation, speed of handwriting, and accuracy of letter placement on the lines in written work.

Executive Functioning Skills and Handwriting – Executive functioning skills are a part of everything we do, even handwriting! This blog post covers the executive functions needed for letter formation, copying skills, visual attention, and organization on a page.

Sensory Letter Formation – This sensory writing activity works on letter formation but allows covers easy tips for handwriting skills. This post includes information on why it’s important to teach lower case letters before upper case letters and how to form letters starting at the top.

Homemade Pencil Grip – Did you know a homemade pencil grip is as easy as using balloons? This pencil grip draws the distal fingers to the tips of the pencil and is good for kids that need a visual and physical cue to hold the pencil at the end.

Benefits of Stickers in Occupational Therapy – There are many benefits to playing with stickers and handwriting skills are part of that especially when you take into consideration all of the fine motor skills that impact a functional pencil grasp.

Toys and Games for Reluctant Writers – Sometimes kids are reluctant writers because they HATE to write or because writing is HARD. These activities and ideas for reluctant writers many handwriting fun and meaningful…and motivating!

The Benefits of Coloring – There are many benefits to coloring that impact handwriting like hand strength and controlled motor movements of the hands.

Gift Ideas for Spatial Awareness – These toys and tools are fun games to work on spatial awareness in handwriting.

31 Days of Occupational Therapy with Free or Inexpensive Treatment Materials – So much about the tools that therapists use can be from everyday functional items or materials found around the home. Others are recycled items that are used to improve functional skills or the underlying skills that impact handwriting and pencil grasp.

Toys and Tools to Improve Visual Tracking – Visual tracking skills are needed for reading and writing. These games and toys help to improve visual tracking skills in written work.

Letter formation activity with sandpaper

Pencil Pressure Simple Handwriting Trick – Pencil pressure is a common handwriting problem for many children. Use this easy activity using a foam sheet to work on the proprioceptive skills needed for appropriate pencil pressure.

Sandpaper Letter Formation Trick – One handwriting activity is using sandpaper to work on letter formation and building the muscle memory skills needed for forming letters with automaticity. This activity for letter formation is great for new writers or fixing letter formation mistakes.

Boxes and Dots Handwriting Method – Writing with appropriate letter size can impact formation and legibility. This box and dot method can help with forming letters correctly, as well as addressing letter reversals.

Easy Trick for Tripod Pencil Grasp – This pencil grasp trick involves hiding a small object in the palm of the hand to work on separation of the sides of the hand and tripod grasp in handwriting.

What is Visual Spacing – Spatial awareness in handwriting is an important part of legibility. Use this button spacing tool to work on spacing between letters and words for better legibility.

Visual Tracking Tips and Tools – This visual tracking tips and tools address the visual processing skills needed for writing, copying material from a near point, copying words or sentences from a distant point like a chalkboard, and the visual shift, visual memory, and visual tracking skills needed to know where the writer left off.

Handwriting Puzzles Spacing Awareness Activity – These spacing puzzles are a fun way to work on the visual perceptual skills needed for writing words and letters with spacing so that kids can read their own handwriting. This is a great self-check activity for kids.

Easy Trick for Helping with Letter Formation and Sloppy Writing – This activity for handwriting skills works on letter formation and re-trace of pencil lines when writing. Kids can self-check their handwriting with this fun self-assessment activity and then carryover the letter formation skills.

Transfer Paper for Spacing, Line Awareness, Letter Formation, Pencil Pressure – Did you know you can use transfer paper for a fun handwriting activity that works on letter formation and handwriting skills.

Hand Dominance and Fine Motor with Scooping and Pouring – This handwriting activity addresses bilateral coordination skills and crossing midline needed for holding and positioning paper when writing with a pencil.

Visual Scanning Fine Motor Fidget Toy – This visual scanning activity is a great way to work on the visual skills needed for handwriting and copying written material.

Functional Play Ideas with Every Day Toys – Use toys found around the home to work on handwriting skills, fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills, and visual motor skills.

DIY Letter Strip Desk Ruler – Make a letter strip for the desktop that can go right into a pencil box or inside the desk. This DIY letter strip helps with letter formation and visual memory skills needed for helping kids copy letters and write letters in their assignments.

Letter Construction Method for Accurate Letter Formation – This letter construction activity works on proper letter formation and sequencing of letter formation so that kids start letters at the top and move to correct formation of parts. The visual cues are great for kids.

Desk Positioning and Posture While Writing – These desk posture tips cover the correct positioning needed for writing when sitting at a desk.

DIY Dry Erase Board Handwriting Travel Kit – Make this DIY dry erase board to work on handwriting while in a car or on the go. It’s a pencil box activity that kids will love!

Building Letters Worksheets – Use cotton swabs as a sensory handwriting activity for working on forming letters. This is a fun way to work on letter writing with kids!

Hot Glue Letters & Words – Multisensory handwriting activities like this hot glue gun letters help with forming letters with a crayon rubbing activity. This is a great activity for bilateral coordination and fine motor skills, too.

Letter Formation Resistive Surface – Use this activity for handwriting skills using a resistive surface with an item you probably already have in your home.

Letter Formation with Push Pins in a Can – Work on letter formation using push pins in a lid for a resistive surface that promotes a tripod grasp.

Lego Letters – Build letters using LEGO pieces that help with tripod grasp, hand strength, bilateral coordination, and visual motor skills.

Handwriting Warm Up Exercises – These handwriting warm-up exercises are a great way to build hand strength and get the hands warmed up for a writing task.

Handwriting on Foam Craft Sticks – Writing on foam sheets adds a proprioceptive resistance feedback for letter formation. This writing activity can help with teaching kids letter formation in proper sequence.

Nature Letters – Work on forming letters with sticks, leaves, and petals. This is a fun letter formation activity that incorporates visual discrimination, figure ground skills, and other visual perceptual skills.

Visual Processing Checklist for Handwriting – Visual processing is a huge piece of handwriting. Consider all of the visual processing skills needed to copy and write letters and words: visual discrimination, figure ground, visual closure, visual attention, visual memory, eye-hand coordination, visual motor integration, and more!

Handwriting Accommodations for the Classroom – Use these suggestions for helping children with handwriting in the classroom.

Pencil Grasp with an Egg Carton – This handwriting activity uses just an egg carton to build the intrinsic muscle strength needed for a tripod grasp.

This massive resource on letter formation covers everything you need to know about the development of handwriting skills, including why you should teach upper case letters first in handwriting instruction, why proper formation is important, and why letters should start at the top. You’ll also gain access to a free letter formation worksheets designed to promote handwriting skills.

Then head to this article on Lower Case Letter Formation for specific strategies related to writing lowercase letters.

Next, read this resource on letter reversals and discover strategies to help with writing letters backwards, and the development of letter reversals, including when letter reversals are normal for new writers.

Try these motor planning in handwriting activities including a carpet square activity to use the benefits of resistive writing surfaces in helping kids to learn to form letters.

Cursive Handwriting Activities

Cursive handwriting is a form of written work that works well for many students, especially those who struggle with pencil control, fine motor skills, and the formation of letters. Cursive letters are much smoother and have a natural flow. Use the handwriting activities below to work on learning cursive writing.

Cursive handwriting ideas and tips from an Occupational Therapist.

How to Teach Letter “c” in Cursive – Teaching cursive letter c is a building block for forming other cursive letters based on the motor plan to turn the cursive c into other letters including: cursive a, d, g, o, and q.

Textured Cursive Lines – Cursive letters flow and these handwriting activities use textured lines to build a motor plan for combining cursive letters. This is a fun multisensory writing activity.

Holding the Paper in Cursive Writing – Positioning the paper is essential for cursive writing slant and formation. This resource covers paper positioning for lefties and righties.

Cursive Pencil Grasp – Does cursive require a different pencil grasp? No…but cursive writing requires new and different pencil movements which can impact pencil grasp! Read more to find out what I mean.

Cursive Lines Art – Use art to work on cursive letter lines.

31 Days of Cursive – Use this resource and activity list for fun and hands-on approaches to teaching cursive handwriting.

Cursive Handwriting Journal – Print this cursive handwriting journal to work on letter formation of cursive letters using multi sensory writing with several different textured writing activities.

Fizzy Dough Cursive Letters – Textured sensory writing is fun with this play dough letters. These cursive letters are sensory and fun! This activity uses the sense of touch with tactile exploratory input with fizzy, sensory letter formation.

Sensory Processing and Handwriting

Getting the senses involved in handwriting can be so beneficial to learning the motor plan of letter formation. Try these sensory ideas for improved handwriting using all of the senses.

sensory handwriting activities for kids to learn how to write letters and numbers

Sensory Letter Formation Work on letter formation using dish soap in this tactile and olfactory letter learning and writing activity.

Sensory Bottle with Letters – You can use whatever materials you have available to make a sensory bottle for self-regulation AND letter identification and handwriting, too.

Glitter Glue Tracing Letters – This cursive writing activity can be done with printed letters too. Use glitter glue for a tactile experience that builds a motor plan and muscle memory for letter formation.

Sensory Letter Bin – Make a sensory bin using materials you have in the home…then add letters for a handwriting experience kids won’t forget!

Fidget tips and tools can be used for kids who are constantly fidgeting during writing activities.
Handwriting on Foam Craft Sticks and letters and coffee filters use the auditory sense when writing. Whisper, tell, yell, rhyme, or sing the letters as your child writes them.
Letter cookies are a tasty way to practice letter formation.
Pencil Control Worksheets You Can Make At Home uses the sense of sight with bright and high-contrast lines for working on line awareness, pencil control, and motor planning when writing.
Tracing Letters: Letter Formation Handwriting Practice with Chalk uses the proprioceptive and tactile senses to write with chalk on a bumpy and hard sidewalk. Up the textures by using wet chalk!
High-Contrast Letter Formation is one of my favorites from this blog! Use a black material (do you know what we used?) on a white surface for high visual contrast with an olfactory power punch!
Handwriting No-Mess Sensory addresses the proprioceptive sense to form letters.
Christmas-Themed Pencil Control Activities-DIY Worksheets for Pencil Control uses a DIY light table for sensory handwriting activities.
Tracing Lines with a DIY Light Box Practice handwriting with visual input of a DIY light table.

Tripod Grasp Activities for Kids

Improving Pencil Grasp With Fine Motor Play Activities
Fine Motor Coordination with a Cereal Box (activity to improve tripod grasp)
Gift Guide: Toys to Improve Pencil Grasp
Line Awareness with Beads (A pre-handwriting activity)

Spacing activities in handwriting

Try these DIY Spacing tool crafts. Kids can make them and feel proud to use them in handwriting:

Pipe Cleaner Spacing Tool
Craft stick and Button Spacing Tool
Clothes Pin Spacing Too l
Space Martian Spacing Tool

Free Handout: Activities to Improve Handwriting

Want to develop handwriting skills and need specific activities designed to support the progression of underlying skills?

Grab a copy of our free handwriting handout: Motor Activities to Improve Handwriting! Use this handout to educate parents, teachers, and other therapists about underlying skill areas needed for handwriting. Go through the handouts and select the activities that will support the individual you are working with and address handwriting skills through specific therapeutic play tasks and occupational therapy activities.

This handout is also available as a resource in The OT Toolbox Member’s Club . Members can access the printable handout by logging in and then heading to our Educational Handouts section . There, members can click on the button and immediately access the handwriting handout without entering their email address. Grab this resource along with hundreds of other materials and therapy support tools.

FREE GUIDE: Activities to Improve Handwriting

Pencil Grasp Activities with Fine Motor Play

Handwriting , Occupational Therapy Activities , Sensory

Sensory Handwriting Backyard Summer Camp

Fine Motor Skills , Handwriting

Preschool Centers to Develop Pre-Writing Skills

Handwriting , Visual Motor Skills

Margins in Handwriting

Common Handwriting Problems

Free Resources , Handwriting , Letter Formation

Creative Cursive Handwriting Practice

Creative Writing Practice

Bad handwriting and strategies to fix bad writing skills

Development , Executive Functioning Skills , Eye Hand Coordination , Fine Motor Skills , Functional Skills , Handwriting , Letter Formation

Messy Handwriting? A Quick Guide to fix Sloppy written work

Handwriting in products.

Easter Egg Therapy Kit

Self Regulation Handwriting Desk Strip K-5th

Alphabet Pose Hunt and Write

A-Z Alphabet Athletics – Multisensory Letter Learning

Free Handwriting Resources

Heavy Work Activities

Coin Activities for Kids

Explore More Tools

Executive function, fine motor skills, functioning skills, 3 thoughts on “”.

What a awesome page you have. thank you for so many wonderful ideas to share with the little one. God bless.

Thanks so much! We're having fun doing all of these activities with our kids and happy to share!

am working with my small grandchildren and these are awesome ideas we'll be using soon! <3 thanks you for sharing

We dropped ping pong ball (can find ones with eye balls at Halloween @ dollar store) onto egg cartons.. I buy 5 dozen at a time so they have a larger area. They stand on a chair and drop them over the back side. have fun!

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10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Handwriting

by Ryan Hart | Updated on February 14, 2019 | Post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

In this post you’re going to learn easy ways to improve your handwriting. If you follow these tips you’ll have perfect penmanship in no time.

I used these same tips to make my handwriting better in just a matter of days.

Ready to learn how to write neatly?

Let’s get started!

Use a Nice Pen

The first step in learning how to write nicely is to use a nice pen. No, it does not need to be an expensive or rare pen, just high quality.

Nice pens help improve your handwriting because they have more consistent ink flow and offer more control. However, there is not one perfect pen. You will need to experiment with a few until you find one that feels good in your hand and gives you the consistency to create identical letters every time.

Consider experimenting with ball point, fountain or fineliners at first. Each pen style will produce a different line thickness and give you a different feel.

Learn Correct Pen Grip

At this point in your life you probably don’t even give a second thought to how you hold your pen. But the experts agree that there are really only one or two correct ways to hold a pen.

The primary way is to hold the pen between your thumb and index finger with the body of the pen resting on your middle finger.

The next most common way is to hold the pen between your thumb and both the index and middle finger with the pen resting against your ring finger.

Whether you decide to change your pen grip or not, the most important thing is to hold the pen lightly. Your hand should be relaxed and comfortable with no tension.

Use Your Wrist and Arm

There are two main types of writers: those that write with their fingers and those that write with their forearm and shoulder. Your fingers should be used as a guide rather than to draw the letters.

If when you are writing for an extended period of time and your hand starts to get tired, then you know you are a “finger” writer. Using your shoulder and forearm will be much less tiring and give you a more consistent handwriting style.

To improve your handwriting focus on keeping your forearm, wrist, and fingers still and let your arm and shoulder move the pen.

As you are writing move the paper away from you as you move down the page. Do not move your hand into an uncomfortable position that will affect your handwriting.

Maintain Good Posture

When you are writing in your notebook or bullet journal it is important to be in a comfortable position and maintain good posture. Try to sit up straight and avoid hunching over your paper.

You should be able to move your arm and shoulder freely without anything on your desk getting in your way.

Having perfect posture can improve your handwriting, but staying relaxed and comfortable in your chair will yield the greatest results.

Take Your Time to Improve Penmanship

During my first year of architecture school we were required to hand draft all of our presentation drawings, or “blueprints” as some might call them. That means we were required to draw our floorplans by hand with lead holders rather than using a computer program and printer.

After we spent dozens of hours working on one drawing, the last step was to title the board.

Our professor encouraged us to just think about just one letter at a time to avoid making a critical mistake at the last minute. So if I was writing the word “FLOOR PLAN” my professor told me to say the letter “F” out loud as I was writing the first letter. Then “L,” “O,” “O,” “R,” etc.

Sure, I probably sounded ridiculous sounding my letters out loud, but this was an incredibly easy way to improve my handwriting. I suggest following a similar process if you want better handwriting as well.

As you write, think about or say each letter out loud. Focus on writing each letter as neatly as possible. Over time you will be able to write faster and still maintain your perfect handwriting. But in the beginning, taking your time will help you dramatically improve your handwriting.

Use Lined Paper

If you open a blank notebook or bullet journal and start writing, you are going to have less control over your handwriting than if you used lined paper.

Handwriting looks neat when lines of words are properly aligned and is consistent across the page. If you are trying to improve your handwriting the first step is to use lined paper.

In the event you need to write on a blank piece of paper, put a piece of notebook paper underneath to give you a guide or draw lines lightly with a pencil that can be erased when you are finished.

Use Proper Spacing to Write Neatly

What’s the difference between good handwriting and perfect penmanship?

The answer is proper letter spacing and alignment!

Each letter must be the same size and equal width apart. When writing in cursive your letters should maintain the same angle at all times.

When printing your letters respect the space above and below the letters when writing “g” or “t” or other tall letters. Do not let your letters touch the row above it and mainain a clean white space between lines.

Practice Each Letter of the Alphabet

If you want to make your handwriting better, you should practice writing each letter of the alphabet.

Yes, practicing your letters seems like something your third grade teacher might tell you. But I’m here to remind you that prefect handwriting is the result of deliberate practice.

Print out worksheets you find online or dedicate a few pages in your bullet journal just to practicing your letters.

Stick With One Style of Handwriting

One mistake I’ve made in the past when trying to improve my penmanship was constantly changing my handwriting style.

I would switch from cursive to printing and then to a lazy combination of both. It was like I was having a handwriting identity crisis.

I even experimented with different signatures!

Please don’t make this same mistake.

Pick one style of handwriting and continue to practice until it’s perfect. Then, if you are feeling abitious, you can move on to mastering calligraphy or other forms of handlettering.

Get Inspired By Pretty Handwriting

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on my journey to improve my handwriting, it’s that I’m my own worst critic. If you’re anything like me, there’s hope.

To avoid becoming discouraged with my handwriting I started looking for inspiration online. My handwriting wasn’t horrible to begin with but I knew it could be better. So I started searching for images of handwriting that I liked, but was still similar to mine.

These images gave me ideas on how to improve my current handwriting without having to change my handwriting completely. Then, I was able to focus just on improving the parts of my penmanship that were less than perfect and leave the good parts.

Image of Ways to Improve Your Handwriting

Now It's Your Turn

And now I’d like to hear from you.

Do you have neat handwriting?

Why do you want to improve your handwriting?

Either way let me know by writing a comment below right now.

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How to Improve Your Print Handwriting (+ Free Worksheet)

Lindsey Bugbee

— 12 Comments

Today’s article is a treasure trove of tips, tricks, and a video tutorial on how to improve your print handwriting. You’ll also find a free basic worksheet and a premium option for those who want to take their practice to the next level! Whether you’re looking to impress coworkers with neatly filled-out forms, make your…

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How to Improve Your Print Handwriting (Free Worksheet)

If you’re anything like me, the urge to improve your print handwriting strikes at the very specific times that you need to write in print. You have to generate neat, legible print when you:

Fill out forms – Print handwriting is the obvious choice when it comes to writing important details like names, addresses, and phone numbers.
Write on a whiteboard or chalkboard – As most students can attest, a teacher’s print handwriting is easier to read from a distance and is often more legible than cursive.
Make a sign – If you want someone to understand signage at a glance, you’ll need to write it in print. Doing so will help to avoid confusion and ensure that everyone can understand the message.
Write for someone with visual impairments – People with visual impairments may have difficulty reading cursive, so opt for print handwriting instead. (Similarly, most young children can’t read cursive.)

How to Improve Your Print Handwriting: The Video

If you have time, watch this ~15 minute video. In it, I’ll walk you through several tips and demonstrations (pen grip, posture, drills, etc.) to help you improve your print handwriting:

The worksheets mentioned in the video are:

Free Basic Improve Your Print Handwriting Worksheet – One page printable worksheet with basic letterform practice
Premium Improve Your Print Handwriting Worksheet ($6.50) – 6-page printable worksheet with drills, detailed + traceable letterform practice, pangrams, and a blank grid practice page

How to Improve Your Print Handwriting: The Article

There are several different things you’ll need to do in order to improve your print handwriting. My first three tips are basic and easily implementable:

Use padding paper – Any smooth piece of paper that’s the same size as (or larger than) the paper you’re writing on will work. That bit of extra padding gives your pen or pencil the cushion it needs for smooth writing.
Watch your writing speed – The vast majority of us have to write slowly in order to produce neat print letters.
Be mindful of your posture – The better your posture, the longer and more comfortably you can write.

You should also:

Use the pen grip that feels best for you – In my opinion, there’s no incorrect grip as long as you’re able to control your writing instrument and write comfortably. Don’t clutch! Maintain a comfortable, fairly relaxed hold on your pen or pencil, and you can’t go wrong.
Rotate your paper as needed – Your paper doesn’t need to be perfectly vertical in front of you. Experiment with different paper rotations and placements to see what’s most comfortable.
Use paper with guidelines – The best way to improve your print handwriting is to use guidelines. The best guidelines will have a vertical component (like a grid or dots) to help regulate the slant of your vertical strokes.

Advanced Tips

With foundational handwriting improvement techniques under your belt, the following supplementary tips will help you take your skills to the next stage.

You'll begin your print handwriting improvement journey by filling out several helpful drills.

Do handwriting drills. When you have a nice chunk of time, do handwriting drills to establish a solid foundation over time (make it fun by listening to your favorite podcast/music/show). If you’re short on time, start out your writing session with a minute or so of drills. Doing so will warm up your hand and ensure confident, clean strokes.
Practice your letterforms . Letterform practice is invaluable when it comes to writing professional-looking characters. Dedicate a couple of practice sessions to writing out the alphabet and experimenting with the best letterforms for you.

Improve your print handwriting by writing out letterforms.

Be mindful of your spacing. The best print handwriting includes consistently-spaced letters that are grouped into consistently-spaced words. Letters all have different widths, which means you have to estimate spacing by sight. Consequently, the only way to improve your spacing is with practice.
Get creative + permit inconsistency. A lot of people struggle with juvenile-looking print handwriting. To battle that, try switching up letterforms within a sentence; you don’t have to write every “a” the same way, for example. Try, too, to think of ways to make certain letters stand out. For example, you can incorporate an elongated tail into letters like “K” and “R”, as shown in my video (jump to 10:41).

Patience: The Key to Improving Your Print Handwriting

Neat print handwriting boils down to having patience. In order to write neatly, you have to write slowly. (Think about it: people got tired of having to write in slow print, so cursive was invented .) Developing print handwriting that is clear, polished, and professional requires a combination of focused practice , careful attention to style and spacing , and a willingness to continuously refine and improve your technique .

I hope that today’s article puts you on the path to producing print handwriting that makes you feel proud! Please feel free to work with the TPK worksheet that fits your needs best in order to achieve that.

DOWNLOAD THE BASIC IMPROVE YOUR PRINT HANDWRITING WORKSHEET ($0)

DOWNLOAD THE PREMIUM IMPROVE YOUR PRINT HANDWRITING WORKSHEET ($6.50)

Thanks so much for reading, and happy handwriting!

Lindsey's Signature | The Postman's Knock

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IMAGES

How To Improve Your Handwriting
Basic drills to improve your handwriting
How To Improve Your Child’s Handwriting Infographic
How to improve simple handwriting
Printable Improve Your Handwriting Adults Worksheets
Worksheets To Improve Handwriting

VIDEO

How to improve your handwriting. Print writing for beginners
how to write handwriting neatly
30 days Handwriting improvement practice Day 2
How to Improve Your Handwriting
How to improve handwriting || Beginners handwriting practice rules || English handwriting practice
Hindi and English Alphabet Drills

COMMENTS

8 Tips to Improve Your Handwriting (Plus a Free Worksheet)
2. Maintain a Relaxed Grip. A relaxed, fairly loose grip is one of the main things that will improve your handwriting. None of the muscles in your hand should feel tense or flexed, and your fingernails shouldn't be white from squeezing the pen's barrel. The more you can relax your hand and your body, the better.
How To Improve Your Handwriting (+FREE Worksheets)
Download free handwriting PDF worksheets. In my free online course, Consistent Cursive, you'll learn all the needed fundamentals to improve your handwriting. In the download section you'll also be able to download free handwriting worksheets, which include -.
50 Ways to Improve Your Handwriting That Actually Work
Learn to maintain a rhythm. Use your natural slant. Start using a fountain pen with a thick grip section. Make sure you enjoy to write. Don't apply too much pressure. Close the top of your letters. Embrace that your handwriting is always evolving. Write on blank instead of ruled paper. Pick the right hand for you.
How To Improve Your Handwriting
One of the best ways to improve your handwriting is to learn a new font. By writing in a way that is different from how you currently write, you can ditch some of the bad habits you currently have and work on developing good habits. One of the easiest fonts to learn is italic handwriting. While it might look fairly similar to your current ...
5 Exercises to Improve Handwriting and How They Can Benefit Your Brain
Start writing whole sentences in the air for 5 to 10 minutes a day. 4. Alphabet exercise. The exercise consists of writing out capital and lowercase letters (Z-z, Y-y, etc.) until you reach the ...
How to Improve Your Handwriting: 8 Helpful Tips
To work out your writing muscles, write sentences in the air using your finger. This forces you to use the muscle groups in your arm and shoulder that help stabilize your hand and improve the shape and form of your letters. [4] 2. Find a comfortable grip on your pen or pencil.
6 Simple Steps to Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult
In this post, we'll explore 6 steps to improve your handwriting as an adult, including: Analyze your handwriting. Write more. Focus on consistency. Experiment with writing utensils. Learn traditional calligraphy. Practice—a LOT. Continue reading for more details on these steps to improve your handwriting!
How to Improve Your Handwriting: 8 Resources for Better Penmanship
Cursive Practice (iOS) If you have an iPad, the Cursive Practice app is an easy way for you to practice your cursive writing on the go. The handwriting lessons take you through uppercase, lowercase, individual words, cursive practice sentences, and numbers. You can also change the width and style of your "pen".
9 Easy Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting
How to improve your handwriting in 9 easy steps: 1. create a comfortable space · 4. adjust your grip · 6. do the drills · 8. analyze your handwriting.
Improve Your Handwriting: A Comprehensive Online Course
Comprehensive course that will give you the tools to change your handwriting for the better -- forever. Improve your print and your cursive -- this course covers techniques for improving both styles of writing. Includes 27 videos + an accompanying 18-page worksheet with drills and exemplars to practice. The worksheet comes in both a printable ...
How To Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult
Practice, Practice, Practice. At the end of the day, the key to improving handwriting as an adult is to—like most things—commit time to practice. Hanson says that practicing can be as simple ...
PDF Better handwriting for adults
Think of your pen as your handwriting tool. The right pen can help avoid smudging and make your writing look smarter. It can also prevent hand strain. Picking the right one for you can be tricky because there are so many different types. Here are some tips to help you. There are three things to think about when choosing the right pen: 1.
How to Improve Handwriting |Drill #1 Circle
Lets bring on the drills to improve your handwriting! Take 10 minutes a day and practice writing out consistent circles of equal heights and equal widths. ...
How to Write Neatly + Improve Your Handwriting
Sharing some tips on how to make your handwriting neat and legible. I hope all these tips will help improve your handwriting!Subtitles/Captions are available...
How to Improve Your Handwriting
These tips on improving your print handwriting (drill exercises for beginners) video will help you practice how to write print letters neatly. These drills a...
Activities to Improve Handwriting
Toys to Improve Visual Perception- In this resource, you'll find fun toys that act as handwriting tools to improve handwriting skills.Kids will love playing with these toys that build underlying handwriting skills. Spatial Awareness in Handwriting- Spacing between letters and words is an essential piece of the handwriting puzzle.Adding more white space between words helps with overall ...
10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Handwriting
Try to sit up straight and avoid hunching over your paper. You should be able to move your arm and shoulder freely without anything on your desk getting in your way. Having perfect posture can improve your handwriting, but staying relaxed and comfortable in your chair will yield the greatest results.
Fun exercises to improve your handwriting
How to write neatly. This video, created by Charm, is a collection of tips that will help you write more neatly. Check these do's and don'ts and incorporate them into your daily practice. Your handwriting will become more understandable and, therefore, more pleasant to the reader.
Cursive Handwriting Practice, Drills #1
Watch this video to improve your cursive handwriting. This handwriting exercise may seem like a basic place to start, but it really helps lay the foundation ...
Handwriting Practice Worksheets
Handwriting, whether in print manuscript or cursive script, continues to be important in the digital age for several reasons. Cognitive Benefits: Handwriting engages different cognitive processes than typing on a keyboard.It requires fine motor skills, visual recognition, and memory, which can aid in learning and retention.
Transform Your Handwriting: Mastering the Art of Perfect ...
Handwriting & Calligraphy Workbooks ETSY SHOP - ( World Wide ) - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FineCalligraphia?ref=seller-platform-mcnav INSTAMOJO SHOP - ( ...
How to Improve Your Print Handwriting (+ Free Worksheet)
The worksheets mentioned in the video are: Free Basic Improve Your Print Handwriting Worksheet - One page printable worksheet with basic letterform practice; Premium Improve Your Print Handwriting Worksheet ($6.50) - 6-page printable worksheet with drills, detailed + traceable letterform practice, pangrams, and a blank grid practice page; How to Improve Your Print Handwriting: The Article

How To Improve Your Handwriting (+FREE Worksheets)

Understanding the Fundamentals of Handwriting

What Do You Want Your Handwriting to Look Like?

You’ve Done the Work, Now Apply It

Download free handwriting PDF worksheets

Quick recap + final words on improving your handwriting

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50 Ways to Improve Your Handwriting That Actually Work

Use your natural slant

Don't apply too much pressure

Embrace that your handwriting is always evolving

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How To Improve Your Handwriting

Handwriting Lessons and Guides

Printing And Using The Worksheets

Focus On Details To Improve Your Handwriting

Practice, Practice, Practice

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Easy Ways to Get Good Handwriting

Analyzing Your Handwriting

Things You Should Know

Community Q&A

Handwriting Practice Page

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6 Simple Steps to Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult

First Things First: Why You Might Want to Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult

First, analyze your handwriting

Improve your handwriting by writing more

Focus on Consistency to Improve Your Handwriting

Experiment with Pens and Writing Utensils to Maximize Your Handwriting Improvement

Learn Traditional Calligraphy to Improve Your Handwriting Skills

Finally, Practice. Practice. Practice.

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How to Improve Your Handwriting: 8 Resources for Better Penmanship

Handwriting Exercises: A Few Common Themes

The Basics: Cursive Writing for Adults

Intermediate Handwriting Exercises

Penmanship Practice: Become a Pro

Splashing Out

Books to Improve Your Handwriting

Apps to Help You Write Neatly

Cursive Practice (iOS)

LazyDog Calligraphy (Android)

Free Handwriting Worksheets

Writing Neatly: Why Should You Care?

A Life of Beautiful Handwriting

9 Easy Tricks To Improve Your Handwriting

Create A Comfortable Writing Space

Choose The Right Pen

Pick The Right Handwriting Paper

Adjust Your Grip

Play With Paper Rotation

Do The Drills

Analyze Your Handwriting

How To Improve Handwriting: 5 Simple Tips

Handwriting Supplies

Free Lettering Resources

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How To Improve Your Handwriting as an Adult

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