Ductus

Ductus refers to the order, direction and number of individual pen strokes used to construct a single letter. Two letters can look identical when finished but have completely different ductus if one was built from two strokes moving in different directions than the other. Following a script's intended ductus matters because certain stroke sequences make consistent spacing, slant and pressure changes easier to control than an improvised approach.

Different scripts define ductus differently. Broad edge hands like italic or foundational typically break letters into two or three simple pen lifts, while pointed pen scripts like copperplate often build a letter as one continuous, flowing movement with pressure changes built into a single stroke rather than separate lifts. Learning materials usually show ductus with numbered arrows overlaid on a sample letter.

Following the taught ductus for a script, rather than approximating the shape with a self-invented stroke order, tends to produce more consistent results and fewer awkward pen angles partway through a letter. A common mistake beginners make is copying the finished look of a letter without learning its stroke order, which often works for isolated letters but breaks down once cursive connections between letters are introduced.