Calligraphy Guide Line Calculator
Choose a script ratio and your x-height to get line spacing you can rule onto practice paper.
Result
- Ascender space
- 7.5 mm
- X-height
- 5 mm
- Descender space
- 7.5 mm
- One line of writing
- 20 mm
- Lines per A4 page (about 277 mm usable)
- 12
Copperplate is traditionally practised at a 55 degree slant. Start large and reduce the x-height as your strokes become consistent.
How this calculator works
The ratio is divided by its middle number, so each part is a multiple of the x-height. Ascender space = x-height x first number, descender space = x-height x last number. One full writing line = ascender + x-height + descender, plus the gap before the next line.