Handwriting guide
How to Write Straight on Blank Paper
· PaperMan
You might be writing a letter on plain stationery or a birthday message inside a card. Halfway across the page, you notice your words getting a little higher or lower. That’s normal. Without printed lines to follow, it can be hard to keep a whole sentence straight.
In this guide, we’ll walk through four common ways to write in straight lines on blank paper so you can choose the one that works best for you.
What works with your paper?
On thin stationery, tuck a lined sheet underneath. On a thick greeting card, use the edge of a ruler. For a whole page of evenly spaced writing, draw faint pencil lines. If you only need a little guidance, mark a dot at each margin.
Write just above a ruler or card
Lay a ruler flat on the front of the page, just below the row you’re about to write. Line it up parallel to the bottom of the sheet and hold it with your free hand. Follow its top edge by eye, leaving a little room for the tails of letters like g and y.
A spare index card works the same way. Its thin edge is handy if a thick ruler gets in the way of your pen.
Draw faint pencil lines and erase them afterward
For a longer note, mark matching intervals down both margins. Join each pair with a ruler and a very light pencil stroke. Use just enough pressure to see the line so you can erase it without leaving a groove.
Write your message in ink along the lines. Let the ink dry completely before erasing. Try the same pen and eraser on a scrap of the paper first. Once the ink stays put, gently rub out the pencil with a clean eraser.
Aim for a pencil dot at the far margin
If your sentences start level but climb near the end, give your eye a target. On scrap paper, measure the same distance down from the top at both margins and make two light pencil dots. Start at the left dot and glance at the right one between words. Erase the dots once the ink is dry.
Slip a writing guide under the page
If your paper is thin enough to see through, slip a sheet from a ruled notebook underneath and write along the lines. You can also print PaperMan’s free Writing Guide Sheet to choose your own line or grid spacing.
- Choose horizontal lines (6 or 8 mm apart) or a square grid (3.5 or 5 mm). A grid helps you judge the space between letters too.
- Choose portrait or landscape and the paper size in your printer (A4 or US Letter). Download the PDF and print at Actual size (100%).
- Clip the guide behind your blank page and write along the lines that show through. When you finish, unclip the guide and move it to the next page.
