This expert volume covers all aspects of the art of 'beautiful writing', setting out the essential tools needed, teaching all the basic strokes to form letters, and providing a rich variety of templates to work from: 12 of the most popular and beautiful alphabets including Gothic, Flourished Italic, Copperplate and Neuland, showing pen angles, strokes and common group structures. Covers the main calligraphic techniques, including cutting quills and reed pens, using a ruling pen, gilding and creating digital calligraphy on your home computer. Over 50 step-by-step projects offer practical ideas for using calligraphy in all kinds of ways, explaining techniques such as embossing, gilding and bookbinding, and showing you how to produce party invitations, birthday cards, gift boxes, decorative books, wine labels, calligrams, calendars and place mats. With a stunning gallery of the work of some of the best contemporary calligraphy artists for inspiration, and beautifully illustrated with over 1000 practical photographs and artworks for guidance, this manual is perfect for both beginners and experienced calligraphers.