How to improve your handwriting

It’s never too late to get better handwriting. We don’t mean calligraphy level, which would make your doctor’s office check-in forms look like royal decrees from the 1500s. We mean legible and consistent, regardless of whether you use print or cursive. 

Just like most aspects of life, you can improve your handwriting with practice. Repetition will help you gradually change your style, and you’ll eventually reach a point where letters flow naturally and beautifully from pen to paper. We can’t promise the words will make sense, but at least they’ll look pretty. 

Avoid thick or spiral notebooks and instead opt for one with a flexible binding that you can open flat. This will prevent the heavier side of your book from trying to pull the whole thing closed, and eliminate any wrist discomfort a thick spiral may create as you approach the end of each line. Thinner notebooks will also keep your hand from losing support as you write the final lines on a page. 

Next, find a paper layout angle that suits your writing. Don’t fall for the notion that the only correct setup is vertical, as that can force your hand and wrist to adopt an unnatural writing position, which could lead to pain and even injury. There’s absolutely no shame in positioning your sheet of paper or notebook at a 45-degree angle or even a totally horizontal alignment. The best way to find out what angle works for you is to start with your paper laid vertically and then rotate it to the left (if you’re right-handed) or the right (if you’re left-handed) until you’re comfortable. This is why having a spacious surface to write on matters, as you won’t want to knock down any desk trinkets while you play around with your paper. 

Take as much time as you need to ensure your setup is to your liking. You’ll find this will not only help you improve your handwriting but it will also be relaxing. You’re welcome. 

The best way to know if a pen is right for you is to try it. If you can, go to a stationery store and take your time sampling the pens there—write a couple words on the provided pads and see how each pen feels. Maybe buy two or three to keep testing at home. If you have no idea where to start, you can always give some fan favorites a test drive. 

Many people swear by the Pilot G-2, for example. It comes in several formats, but the tried-and-tested version has a built-in grip, is retractable, uses quick-drying gel ink, and comes in myriad colors. If you want to go with a classic, try BIC’s Cristal or Round Stic pens. You’ve probably written with these a million times before, and they’re a staple because of how comfortable and reliable they are. Some more ideas: Uniball’s Signo, Pentel’s RSVP, Sakura’s Pigma Micron, or any gel pen at Muji. These are all inexpensive writing tools with their own fan bases, so you should be able to find something that works among them. 

If you want to try your hand at fountain pens, start with something designed for beginners that—hopefully—is compatible with disposable ink cartridges, or even comes pre-loaded with ink. This will prevent you from having to buy a bottle of ink and a refillable cartridge, unless you’d really like to. Pilot’s Kakuno or Schneider’s Ray fountain pens are solid, inexpensive choices—they’re light and comfortable, and can prepare you to move on to more serious fountain pens in the future. 

When you write, do it at a normal pace (not too fast, not too slow) and mind your hold on the pen. If your nails are white from the force you’re exerting, your grip is too strong—relax your hand and try again. This is important because an excessively strong grip will lead to pain and discomfort, which can result in hand and wrist cramping, as well as injury. On top of that, pain will also affect the consistency of your handwriting and eventually deter you from putting pen to paper at all, rendering this whole process useless. 

Once you have a comfortable grip, check it every few minutes and correct it if you need to. If you’re having trouble controlling your pen, you can always change your tool or try a pen grip—one of those small rubber tubes that slip right onto your pen or pencil for better control. 

These are the elements you’ll need to focus on to improve your handwriting. No matter if you do cursive, print, or a combination of the two, you want a style that anybody can read clearly, is mostly the same across the page, and has letters that look more or less consistent. This doesn’t mean your handwriting should be perfect or resemble words on a screen (let alone calligraphy)—your handwriting is unique to you and you should embrace it as such. 

If there are aesthetic elements you want to change, or if you want to alter the way you write altogether, draw inspiration from others. A quick web search will turn up thousands of handwriting enthusiasts sharing their own pristine note pages. Take a look at them, find what you like (loose elements or entire styles), mimic it, and make it yours. 

A helpful way to practice is by making your exercises a part of your everyday life. You can do this by taking up a hobby like journaling or meditative writing. This will give you the opportunity to sit down for a couple of minutes each day and put your growing skills to good use. 

If you’re not into journaling, you can just set aside some time to practice every day. Find books, poems, and songs you like, and transcribe them. You can also write down your own train of thought if you can keep up with it. Your writing doesn’t have to be good, or even make sense—the point is to write, and as long as you’re putting words together, you’re getting some practice. 

On top of that, take every opportunity you have to write instead of typing. Keep notepads and pens around your desk and home, and pick them up to write reminders, and lists. If time is not an issue, forgo emails and opt for writing a letter or sending a postcard instead. It’s not only extra practice, but it’s a nice, old-fashioned thing to do and people love it.

A reminder: take your time and be patient. Speed will come once your hand learns the movements you’re teaching it. The more you write, the faster and more organically your lines will come. In the meantime, focus on form and consistency. From time to time, take a moment to analyze your handwriting to see how much you’ve progressed and what you still need to improve. Don’t forget about your grip, either, and check on it often to see if you need to loosen up. 

For the more independent learners, there’s also a lot of practicing material online, like worksheets and guides, that you can download at a cost or even for free. Some of them have slanted lines that can help you keep your angles consistent, and some of them have full instructions on the best ways to join letters and use spacing. 

It bears repeating: handwriting is not calligraphy, and it’s as unique to you as your fingerprints. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to look like someone else’s, so make embracing the chaos part of your process.