Historians can date calligraphy writing, which means beautiful writing, back nearly 4,000 years to ancient China. Before the days of the printing press, scribes copied books and other documents by hand. Today, many consider calligraphy an art, with the three main styles in Western, Arabic and Chinese.

You can’t produce beautiful work of this nature without the right calligraphy supplies. And the most important supply is the calligraphy pen. However, before you make your first calligraphy business purchase, consider the following calligraphy pens basics:

1. Fiber-tipped calligraphy pens are great for beginners.

2. Fountain pens have refillable reservoirs for calligraphy ink.

3. The best calligraphy pens that produce the best quality work are dip pens.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start learning calligraphy writing with fiber-tipped pens

A fiber-tipped pens calligraphy set is a great item for someone who is just starting to learn the art of calligraphy. They also make great practice pens as you learn new calligraphy fonts and styles. The tips of these pens dull with usage, which eventually produces jagged lines. Additionally, the ink contained within is not light fast and will fade over time. They do come in a variety of tip sizes and shapes so that you can better learn each stroke.

I recommend: Find information on calligraphy pen suppliers, including the styles they cater to, on Calligraphy Pen Sets. Get reviews and information on individual calligraphy pens and buying tips and usage guide from The Calligraphy Pen.

Expand versatility with fountain calligraphy pens

The next step in your calligraphy skill progression should be fountain pens. While these are not yet the best option, they do provide better results than fiber-tipped pens and help you to learn better control over strokes. These pens deliver the calligraphy ink from a cartridge contained within the pen that you can either refill or replace when empty.

I recommend: Article Alley provides tips on choosing the right calligraphy pen when you graduate from fiber-tipped. Find more pointers and writing styles for fountain pen usage on Covington Innovations.

Produce high-quality work with a dip calligraphy pen

Dip pens are the highest quality calligraphy pens available. They produce the best results, and both the pens and the work are long lasting. While the one disadvantage is that you have to continually reink a dip pen, it is still the best choice. The nibs (or tips) come in a variety of shapes and sizes for a vast array of results. They are also easy to clean and change, giving you the opportunity to use one pen that you're comfortable with for all of your calligraphy needs.

I recommend: Visit the Calligraphy Centre for information on how to get started in the art of calligraphy, including what pens to use. Obtain more information on calligraphy dip pens, including how to use them, from EzineArticles.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you use fountain calligraphy pens, you will occasionally need to sharpen and polish the nibs to keep them producing beautiful work.

A calligraphy pen is the tool by which the calligrapher transforms ordinary letters and numbers into visual masterpieces. They differ from fountain pens; specially constructed nibs allow the writer to create strokes in varying thicknesses and angles.

Traditional instruments used in calligraphy, quill pens and reeds, have been replaced largely by metal and plastic-bodied pens. Calligraphy pen suppliers now also carry porous-tip pens, available in a wide range of colors, which resemble ordinary felt markers.

Professional calligraphers may want a particular kind of nib (steel or copper, with single or multiple nib points) or one constructed for a left-handed writer. Those learning the art or wishing to use calligraphy to make personal invitations and other writings more attractive may be content with a set of low cost, colorful felt-tip pens. A calligraphy set (usually containing a guide to the basics of calligraphy, ink, paper, and pens) is an attractive gift.

When purchasing calligraphy pens for sale or use in your business:

1. Research the brands of calligraphy pens on the market.

2. Understand the different needs of professionals in the calligraphy business as well as hobbyists.

3. Increase customer interest by creating attractive displays of calligraphy pens and calligraphy supplies and hosting promotional events.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find reputable calligraphy pen suppliers

Find suppliers that offer several brands of calligraphy pens at a variety of price points, including inexpensive, high quality marker types to satisfy the needs of the professional calligrapher, as well as novices to the art and those using calligraphy for personal projects.

I recommend: Using reputable calligraphy pen suppliers such as Dick Blick Art Materials. Popular brands of calligraphy pens including Manuscript, Speedball, Schaeffer, and Itoya. Visit manufacturer web sites to learn more about the products and distribution points.

Provide expertise and resources about calligraphy pens and calligraphy

Increase your expertise so that you can advise on the best calligraphy pens for both the professional and the hobbyist. Keep handy a 'fact sheet' containing information about calligraphy classes and workshops for enthusiasts at all levels. Host a demonstration of calligraphy writing in conjunction with the introduction of new products or promotion of a particular calligraphy pen.

I recommend: Contacting groups such as the Society of Scribes in New York City or the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Cynascribe has compiled a list of over 1,000 links to resources for calligraphers and those interested in the art of calligraphy.

Promote calligraphy pens in displays including other calligraphy supplies

Give customers all the supplies they need for a project in one place (including calligraphy ink, paper, etc.) Include blank invitations and special stationery in the display or have them readily available for the customer.

I recommend: Consulting point of purchase display designers at Kristof Creative and Point Display & Design. Find invitations and stationery at suppliers such as Fine Stationery and VistaPrint.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Stock the best calligraphy pens to attract serious buyers. Offering the highest quality materials as well as more economical calligraphy pens and other calligraphy supplies will ensure that you have the right tool for every customer.The official source of Calligraphy Pens is the Calligraphy Pens page at Business.com.
• •  Offer information about local calligraphy writing specialists. Customers without sufficient expertise may want to have invitations or other writings done by a professional.

Calligraphy pens education and training provides you with the information you need to start writing well in calligraphy. With calligraphy training you can create beautiful handwritten inscriptions for formal invitations, signs, artwork and more. Calligraphers need to learn more than just to write or draw characters. In this training you also receive a complete overview of calligraphy pens.

When receiving calligraphy pens education and training there are three areas to cover. Choosing the correct supplies is the first step. The correct supplies enhance the overall style of the calligraphy. Learning how to create the lettering is the second step. Choose a style of writing to create and then learn the techniques of that style. Maintenance and care for your supplies is also crucial for calligraphers. Finding and replacing supplies due to improper maintenance costs both time and money.

1. Know what to look for when choosing calligraphy pen suppliers.

2. Take tutorials about calligraphy pen professional writing.

3. Learn how to maintain calligraphy tools and supplies.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn what to look for when choosing calligraphy supplies

The supplies a calligrapher uses are as important as the skills the calligrapher has. The right pen, ink and paper can completely change the look of the calligraphy. Investing in the right types of products is key to starting a calligraphy career.

I recommend: Learn how to choose calligraphy supplies from eHow. EHow also has many other articles about choosing, writing with and maintaining calligraphy supplies. Expert Village provides videos about how to choose brands of calligraphy pens and supplies.

Take tutorials about calligraphy writing

Learning how to do calligraphy includes skills such as holding the pen, making strokes and learning different styles of calligraphy. This training teaches the basics of how to start calligraphy writing. Starter kits are available for new calligraphers. With these kits you need to review all the items in the kit carefully before purchasing.

I recommend: Discover A Hobby offers instructions about how to do calligraphy writing as well as information on all types of calligraphy supplies. Inkscape provides tutorials about the basics of calligraphy.

Maintain your calligraphy set

Maintaining your calligraphy set is critical for any calligraphy artist. By keeping the calligraphy set clean and in good working condition, you extend the life and quality of your tools. Learn how to clean calligraphy ink from pen tips and how to properly install new ink to keep your pens in the best possible working condition.

I recommend: Expert Village offers training videos for learning calligraphy as well as how to maintain your calligraphy quill pens and keep them clean. Learn how to replace points and reservoirs, and how to change colors and tips for calligraphy pens at The Calligraphy Pen. ArticlesBase.com also provides information about cleaning calligraphy pens.

The pen is an instrument, often one that people take for granted. The words that come from it are not. Calligraphy truly is an art form admired by viewers and held in high regard by those who have practiced and can do it well.

Calligraphy pens are simple instruments - pens with wide flat tips - but they wield the power to unleash a masterpiece of design and lettering filled with intricacies. As a retailer, understanding various aspects of a calligraphy pen will put you in a place to help and educate your customers and increase sales. Calligraphy pens key terms will start to help you get acquainted with the pens and their capabilities.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Nib

A nib is the tip of a calligraphy pen. Pens with various-sized nibs are available for different widths of lettering.

I recommend: The glossary at Reuel's Distribution explains nibs and nib width.

Adjustable nib

Some pens have a changeable nib that allows for the alteration of the inked line thickness.

I recommend: The Southern Scribe defines adjustable nib in its online glossary. For more information on adjustable nibs, go to The Fountain Pen Network.

Breather hole

A breather hole is a hole in the pen tip originally intended to enhance ink flow.

I recommend: See the definition of breather hole at penoply. Walter Chang expounds a little deeper on the term.

Calligraphy marker

The calligraphy marker is a disposable pen with a soft calligraphy nib used by children and scrapbookers or for small, informal projects.

I recommend: For Dummies discusses in detail the calligraphy marker, tells what it is and explains its benefits and drawbacks.

Cartridge, reservoir

A cartridge and a reservoir are both implements of calligraphy that hold the ink used for writing. A cartridge is an ink-filled tube that fits inside modern pens. A reservoir is a small, soft holder on the pen filled with ink.

I recommend: Look under the subhead "Using a Metal Nib Pen" on Zugg Software for information on cartridge and reservoir pens and to see a comparison of the two. Get more information on cartridge pens when you visit BBC.

Reed pen, qalam

A reed pen, or qalam in Arabic, is a calligraphy writing instrument made of reed, a flexible, natural material. After being treated, you can carve reed plants to hold ink.

I recommend: Discover the definition of a reed pen and find more information about it by visiting Calligraphy Qalam.