# How to Create Beautiful Calligraphy Lettering on Procreate - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/how-to-create-beautiful-calligraphy-lettering-on-procreate/ - Published: 2024-03-31 - Author: Jordan Brown - Categories: [Software & APP](https://33rdsquare.com/category/software-app/) --- Procreate is a game-changer for artists who want to apply their calligraphy skills to the digital medium. As an experienced graphic designer who has been using the app since its early days, I‘ve found it to be the most powerful and intuitive tool for iPadOS calligraphy. Whether you‘re an experienced calligrapher looking to transition to digital or a total beginner, Procreate offers features and workflows for calligraphy artists of all levels. In fact, a growing number of professional calligraphers have switched to Procreate as their primary lettering tool – including well-known artists like Seb Lester, Ian Barnard and Olivia Kneibler. So what makes Procreate so great for calligraphy? In a nutshell: - Highly customizable brushes that authentically mimic real pens/nibs - Powerful layering system for iterating and building up designs - Intuitive gesture-based controls that feel natural with the Apple Pencil - Ability to import scanned textures and integrate traditional elements - Extensive lettering guides, grids, and assistive features In this guide, I‘ll walk you through three distinct methods you can use to create stunning calligraphy compositions on your iPad with Procreate. I‘ll provide detailed step-by-step instruction as well as share pro tips, recommended tools and settings from my own experience. Let‘s get started! ## Method 1: Default Calligraphy Brushes Difficulty: Beginner Time: 10-15 minutes Procreate‘s default brush library includes a surprisingly varied and high-quality set of calligraphy brushes. For many projects, you may not need to look any further. The brushes are organized into a "Calligraphy" set with options for a range of styles: - Brush Pen – Pressure-sensitive brush with generous edging - Classic Inker – Smooth, constant-width brush for monoline script - Dip Nib – Pressure-sensitive with square edge for Blackletter style - Modern Calligraphy – Highly responsive brush for flowy, bouncy scripts - Pencil Calligraphy – Pencil texture with nice pressure variation - Sharpie Calligraphy – Bold marker-like effect, less pressure sensitive To use the default brushes: 1. Open your Brush Library with the paintbrush icon 2. Tap on "Calligraphy" and swipe through to preview the different options 3. Select one of the brushes and start lettering! The default brushes work nicely right out of the box. However, I recommend digging into the brush settings to customize the size, flow, taper and pressure sensitivity to your personal preferences. Play with the brush settings as you letter to see how the different attributes impact your strokes. Pro tip: You can quickly adjust brush size while working by using the two finger pinch-in/out gesture on the canvas. This is super handy as different letterforms and compositions often require different stroke weights for proper visual balance. ## Method 2: Importing Custom Brushes Difficulty: Beginner/Intermediate Time: 20-30 minutes While the default calligraphy brushes are quite good, one of Procreate‘s strengths is the ability to import custom brushes created by other designers and lettering artists. There are countless brush packs available online (both free and paid) that allow you to expand your toolbox with the brushes of your favorite calligraphers. Some of the best places to find Procreate calligraphy brush packs include: - Creative Market – design asset marketplace with many premium brushes - Etsy – search for "Procreate calligraphy brushes" to find affordable packs - Behance – many calligraphy artists share free brushes on their profiles - Freebiesbug – repository of free design resources including brushes - Gumroad – indie brush makers often sell their packs here Once you‘ve downloaded a .brushset file, installing it in Procreate is a snap: 1. Open your Brush Library in Procreate 2. Tap the "+" icon in the top right and choose "Import" 3. Locate and select your downloaded .brushset file 4. The new brushes will appear in your library inside a folder 5. Swipe through to test out your new brushes and get lettering! In addition to brushes, many calligraphy packs include bonus assets like exemplar guides, paper textures, and color swatches that help you achieve specific lettering styles. Be sure to check the folder info for the brush pack to see what bonus content is included and how to use it. Pro tip: Organize your brush library by moving your most-used calligraphy brushes into a single folder. You can tap and hold on the brush pack folders to rename them for quick identification. ## Method 3: Freehand Calligraphy with the Apple Pencil Difficulty: Advanced Time: 30+ minutes For complete control over every aspect of your lettering, creating calligraphy freehand with the Apple Pencil is the way to go. This technique most closely mimics traditional pen-to-paper calligraphy and allows you to develop your original style with a personal touch. Here‘s a breakdown of my process for freehand iPad calligraphy with Procreate: 1. Create a new canvas at your desired size (I recommend at least 3000×3000 pixels for print-ready artwork) 2. Set up your drawing guides by tapping the wrench icon and turning on "Drawing Guide". I like to use a 2-3 line grid to keep my baseline, waistline and capline consistent. 3. Create a new layer for your sketch. Use the 6B Pencil brush to lightly draft out your composition. This is the time to experiment with different letterforms and layouts. 4. Once you‘re happy with your sketch, reduce the opacity of the sketch layer to 20-30%. Create a new layer for your final linework. 5. Choose a brush to ink your final lettering with. I gravitate towards textured brushes like Brush Pen or Dip Pen for more traditional looks, or monoline brushes like Syrup or Tinderbox for modern styles. The key is to choose something you‘re comfortable with. 6. Now slowly trace over your sketch, using deliberate and consistent strokes. As you ink, vary your pressure to achieve dynamic contrast between thicks and thins. You can zoom way in to focus on the details. 7. Continue refining your outlines and adding flourishes until you‘re satisfied with the final composition. Keeping your inking on a separate layer allows for maximum editing flexibility later on. Here are some additional tips as you ink your calligraphy: - Rotate the canvas with two fingers to maintain a consistent angle as you letter. I advise keeping your vertical strokes perfectly straight up and down. - Don‘t zoom in too far – try to see your entire word/phrase while inking to ensure proper letter spacing and visual cohesion. - Remember to lift your Pencil as you transition between strokes. Avoid "connecting the dots" which tends to look unnatural. - For longer compositions, consider writing one word per layer. This compartmentalizes your piece and allows for easier editing and tweaking later on. To add some additional polish to your lettering, experiment with texture and color layers: - Tap the layer fx button (magic wand icon) and try different layer blending modes like Multiply or Overlay for adding subtle textures. - Fill a layer below your linework layer with a color to instantly change the hue of your composition. Gold on black is a classic combination! Freehand calligraphy certainly requires more skill and practice than using preset brushes. But the freedom of customization it offers is unmatched. With patience and persistence, you can develop a style that is 100% original. ## Bonus: Digitizing Traditional Calligraphy As a final tip, you can actually use Procreate to digitize calligraphy created with real pens and paper. This is a great "best of both worlds" approach to creating digital calligraphy with all the nuance and character of hand-inked letterforms. Here‘s how: 1. Write out your calligraphy on paper using your favorite pen and ink. Optionally, lay a guide sheet underneath to keep your lines straight. 2. Take a high resolution photo of your calligraphy or scan it. Make sure the image is evenly lit and the paper looks white. 3. Import the image to Procreate with the Image Import tool. Use the corner handles to crop out any external marks or shadows. 4. Tap the Magic Wand tool to open the Adjustments menu. Use the sliders to bump up the contrast and brightness until the background is pure white and you can clearly see the ink. 5. To convert your lettering into a usable Procreate brush, tap the layer thumbnail and choose "Copy". Then tap again and choose "Paste as New Brush". 6. Use your newly created brush to write out your calligraphy or stamp it as a graphic. You may need to clean up your lettering and re-draw certain parts, but this method preserves much of the hand-drawn charm. ## The Journey Continues I hope this guide has given you a solid foundation for starting your Procreate calligraphy journey. The three methods described here – using default brushes, installing custom brushes, and hand lettering with the Apple Pencil – can each yield beautiful and professional results. In my experience, the key to mastering iPad calligraphy is devoted practice (aim for at least a half hour per day) and a willingness to experiment with different techniques. Don‘t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try new styles – that‘s how you‘ll grow! I also can‘t emphasize enough the importance of studying exemplars and deconstructing the work of calligraphers you admire. Analyze how they construct their letterforms, connect their strokes, and compose their pieces. Incorporate those insights into your own practice. To keep sharpening your skills, I recommend checking out the following resources: - The Procreate Handbook (official Procreate manual and tutorials) - The iPad Lettering Manual by Stefan Kunz (in-depth Procreate calligraphy guide) - Calligraphy Masters Instagram Account (daily inspiration from top artists) - Loveleigh Loops YouTube Channel (informative Procreate calligraphy tutorials) The wonderful thing about the Procreate calligraphy community is that artists are so generous in sharing their knowledge and techniques. Immerse yourself and never stop learning! If you put in the time and focus to hone your craft, I‘m confident you can achieve incredible things and find your unique voice as an iPad calligrapher. Feel free to reach out with any questions – I‘m always happy to chat lettering! Now go forth and make something beautiful! --- Source: [How to Create Beautiful Calligraphy Lettering on Procreate](https://33rdsquare.com/how-to-create-beautiful-calligraphy-lettering-on-procreate/)