I sure this isn't just me, but every time I scroll through my Instagram feed and come across some hand lettering work that’s inspiring, I always think to myself, “I wonder what they used for that?” Whether it’s a specific pen, nib or paper, I want to know what other artists are using!
After months of doing this, I've gathered a huge collection of lettering tools. Some I love, and some I have only used once. So to keep things easy for you, I've chronicled my favorites here!
Tombow Dual Brush Pens
Hands down, these pens are amazing. They're perfect for beginners, and the color options are plentiful. I like that the tips are flexible enough to provide the variety in thickness, but also provide enough bounce to get an extra fine line. You can also easily mix ink colors without worrying about destroying the pigment of your markers. Outside of art supply stores, you can snag the standard color 10-pack set for an extremely reasonable price on Amazon.
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Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen - Soft Tip
When I need to achieve the same hand lettering style as my dual brush pens, but writing in smaller spaces, I opt for the Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen (soft tip). This pen is perfect to use for calligraphy for gift tags, envelopes, and other crafts. I've only had the chance to try these puppies out in black, but apparently Pentel offers a similar pen in colored versions that's only made in Japan.
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Tracing Paper
For months I wasted packs and packs of marker paper for my hand lettering drills. This caught up to me financially, so I had to find a cheaper alternative. Then I found tracing paper. Where had it been all my life?! Not only does tracing paper take marker inks well, you also can use it to refine your hand lettering projects and ideas.
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Light Box
In conjunction with the tracing paper, a light box is 100% helpful with refining hand lettered designs. I prefer the Huion Light Box, since it's thin and easy to store. It is powered by a USB, and the cord extremely long. I typically hook it up to my laptop to power the light box as needed.
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Zebra Comic G Nib
Into calligraphy? I am in no way a calligraphy master (yet!), but I highly recommend the Zebra Comic G Nib for beginners. I've tested at least 6 different pointed-pen nibs, and this was the easiest to use when you're first learning how to write in the Copperplate style.
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A Clear Grid Ruler
Sometimes, I am an over-planner with my lettering. I want to know exactly how high my letters are going to be, my exact kerning, everything down to the nearest millimeter. See-through rulers were my saving grace and are great resources for spacing, alignment and height planning. Use it.
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So that's it for now, but I hope to add more tools as I discover them! Enjoy, my lettering junkies!