The Secrets to ALWAYS Having Calligraphy Guidelines for Any Project

If you’re doing a calligraphy project but can’t use your usual guidelines, there are several ways you can still make sure your lettering is neat and consistent:

• Use a light box/pad
• Use a laser level
• Put a straight edge beneath the writing space
• Draw guidelines with a ruler
• Use stencils or templates

In this post I’m going to explain how to use each of these methods for your projects.

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Usually when we do calligraphy, we use worksheets or lined paper so we can write on a straight line and keep everything consistent.

For things like envelope addressing, wood signs, canvas art, or other projects, that doesn’t really work, though.

So here are five “hacks” you can use to always have guidelines for your calligraphy projects, even if you can’t use guide paper!

Use a light box/pad

A light box or light pad (like this one) is a very convenient tool if you do a lot of lettering artwork.

With a light box, you can place a sheet of calligraphy guidelines beneath your work to guide your writing.

This way you can still have all your guides to follow, without having to draw and erase a bunch of lines by hand!

Of course you can also use this method to easily trace a calligraphy draft that you prepared beforehand.

Laser level

A laser level is the perfect “lazy” way to get straight guidelines for calligraphy without drawing them yourself.

Just position the laser line across whatever you’re writing on and follow it as you write to keep everything on a straight line!

You can learn more about how to use a laser level for calligraphy in this video by the Happy Ever Crafter:

Even though you may not think of a laser as being a lettering tool, many calligraphers use them as easy guides for any project.

This would be a great tool to have if you do a lot of lettering.

(You can also check out laser squares like this one for card making.)

Put a straight edge beneath/above the writing area

If you feel pretty comfortable with writing calligraphy but just need some help with keeping a straight line, this simple trick works.

Take a piece of paper (or other straight edge) and place it just beneath where you want to write.

Add another piece above if needed.

(Tape it in place with washi tape or something similar so it doesn’t move.)

You can use the straight paper edge as a guide to keep your writing on a straight line, without having to get a ruler and draw lines.

Masking tape with measurements

You can also use tape for this!

Masking tape with measurements on it works great as temporary guidelines.

This would be especially useful if you’re doing signs, mirrors, or windows where other methods might not work as well.

Stick some masking tape on the surface and use the measuring lines to help you keep everything centered and positioned how you want it.

Use an envelope addressing stencil (or other templates)

Did you know you can get envelope addressing stencils to help you keep your writing perfectly neat on envelopes?

Even though these stencils are intended for regular writing, they can be really helpful for calligraphy and hand lettering too!

An envelope addressing stencil has straight, evenly spaced slots where you can write the recipient’s address neatly without needing any guidelines.

I would definitely use this to print the address itself right below the person’s name written in calligraphy.

You could also create your own envelope addressing template if you’re writing on a lot of envelopes.

Draw guidelines with a ruler

Then there’s the old-school way that often works the best: draw your own guidelines with a ruler!

If you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to have to evenly space the lines yourself, try looking for a straight line stencil or use an envelope addressing template.

For most things, you can use a pencil to lightly draw guidelines (drawing them lightly means less rough erasing is needed later).

For a darker surface, you might need to use something like chalk for the guidelines instead.

Once you’ve done the calligraphy, wait until the ink is totally dry before erasing the guidelines to prevent smudging.

I love using a kneaded eraser because you can easily shape it, tap it, or roll it for a gentle erase.

Guidelines are SO important for keeping any kind of lettering consistent.

Unless you’re comfortable with free-handing, you should pretty much always have some sort of guides to follow when creating calligraphy artwork.

I hope these methods helped you find one that works for you and your project!

Save these hacks for later ⬇️