veloped from humanist scripts. Informa¬
tion technology and the need for speed
endanger good taste and the process of
handwriting itself to the point where lit¬
tle is left of the high standard of writing
that was achieved during past centuries.
What a pity, considering that second
only to your language, your handwriting
can be the most telling expression of
personality! Activities such as speaking
and eating are subject to certain rules
when pursued in public. Similarly, hand¬
writing should be readable with ease and
pleasing from an aesthetic point of view.
The advanced state of technology and
communication provides us with tapes,
data-storage systems, computers, and
other machines that free our handwrit¬
ing from the demands of speed and
afford us the leisure of developing a dis¬
tinct personal script. Every good educa¬
tion should include methods of storing
text quickly. Where machines are im¬
practical, stenography or another speed-
writing system should be used.
In some parts of the world efforts are
underway to halt the deterioration of per¬
sonal handwriting skills through a reori¬
entation towards the humanist scripts. In
Germany, for example, an improved basic
alphabet is being taught to schoolchil¬
dren to give them cultured writing skills
as an integral part of their education.
Good writing tools are essential.
Ballpoint pens and felt-tip pens are prac¬
tical but not suitable. The equal stroke
widths they produce lack rhythm and
interest. Ballpoint pens make varying
pressure impossible; up-and downstrokes
look the same. Pressure points appear at
illogical spots, and ugly forms result
(Figure 174). What should be used in¬
stead are wide-nibbed pens. Mature hand¬
writing develops over time; it grows with
the personality of the writer. The alpha¬
bet in Figure 162 can therefore be no
more than a starting point, from which
repetition forms a rhythmic sequence
that seems to flow from the subconscious
mind. Over time individual variations
will emerge and should occasionally be
compared to basic forms and corrected if
necessary.
Figures 175-178 show samples of
beautiful handwriting based on humanist
scripts.
If you practice italic alphabets with
even-stroke pens or a brush, do not use
serifs or connect the letters to each
other. The resulting even-stroke cursive
is well suited for lettering of technical
material, plans, maps, signs, or similar
uses (Figures 179 to 183).
Uses of the italic for artists are dis¬
cussed in the section on Humanist Italic,
page 112.
64
175 Italic by Tom Courdie.
-And tdrr? were m bfit scwm cwmtrg sfvevhtrd* a fading m
tfw fit Cd fwtv'vng watcfi ovrr tCvcnrfCvcd fry nigfvt. -And
Co tdf cm ad of tfit Lord canvt uixm t&tm, and tfvtßQmj
of tÇve Cord snont tvwnd afiout t(um : and tfity wvre
sort afraid.-And tfpe ornaci said witv tñern,yTw ywt :
for 6c(wCd,J irrmq шп íjovd tidings of qrratjou ,wkic(i
sfurffbe tv aufevyfo .'Tor untv yovi h вот tnk> day vn
tfvt city ofX)a/vid< a Saviowr, wiucfx ii> Cfvri>t the Lord.
Xch^ í^n^fyüL -bdii- "b^X^UjOr JX-ЯАл- iu. úlcéÁsUL.
176 Jan Tschichold's handwriting. From Renate
Tost, Die Schrift in der Schule: Ein Beitrag zur
Schreiberziehung in der allgemeinbildened und
polytechnischen Oberschule (Teaching handwrit¬
ing in school). Leipzig, 1968.
кСпи^п^Ог ип^ЛАГ kÄtl ¿JÜPZfu (^^ГС^ІАа. дог
177 Paul Standard's handwriting.
178 Example of a good adult German hand¬
writing style. From Renate Tost, Die Schrift in
der Schule.
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<щшбскш euifùussts ouf cUt gtsoudt J azzeri uiïckluuq ш. aU&r
ItftM, Iris Zu*u keidiqtM Tag otas ausscMefiUcâe АиДщш, der Ñe-
qtAuwLkerUMq Аш.иіійл$. dit Шеуі ab iUas ііоіма Сш. tnrri-
qw. JcdorhuMoObH- ik (iut сиисгікошл&с&ш SucUfaaJea, mfcüa
ихіки, ttrticudrtut jü^cLííra^íM., ciuf Uul Тсишем , ТісшЩш