LETTERFORGE
The art of letters — calligraphy, hand-lettering, and type that speaks.
From pairing typefaces and measuring x-height to converting tracking, building a modular type scale, planning a nib angle, and snapping a layout to a baseline grid, LetterForge pairs free hands-on calculators with practical guides and a richly illustrated museum of lettering history. Measure the letters, then trust your eye.
Lettering & Type-Design Tools
Free tools for hand-lettering, calligraphy, and type design — font pairing suggester, x-height & line-spacing calculator, letter-spacing & kerning guide, poster type-scale generator, nib-angle guide, and baseline grid calculator.
Font Pairing Suggester
Pick a typeface classification and get complementary pairing classifications with real, freely available typeface examples.
X-Height & Line-Spacing Calculator
Turn a font size and x-height ratio into pixel measurements, work out a line height from a leading multiplier, and get a suggested leading for a line length.
Letter-Spacing & Kerning Guide
Convert tracking between em, percent, and per-1000-em units, and get a general tracking suggestion by point size.
Poster Type-Scale Generator
Generate a full modular type scale from a base size and a ratio, for consistent poster and layout hierarchy.
Nib-Angle Guide
Work out the stroke width a broad-edge nib produces in any direction for a given pen angle, and find the thick and thin extremes.
Baseline Grid Calculator
Snap a desired line height to the nearest multiple of a baseline unit, and work out how many lines fit on a page.
The Letterform Museum
Wander an immersive collection of the story of letters — the history of type and lettering, the calligraphy scripts from blackletter to italic to copperplate, the illuminated letters and manuscripts of the medieval scriptorium, and the sign painting and lettering arts that carried it into the street, each in its own gallery. Every entry, image, and fact is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.
Tour the museum →From the Journal
Guides on letterform anatomy, calligraphy technique, type classification, spacing and kerning, and building layouts with a modular scale and a baseline grid.
How to Pair Fonts Like a Professional
A practical method for pairing typefaces by classification and contrast, with real, freely available examples for headings and body text.
Understanding X-Height and Vertical Rhythm
Why the same font size can look completely different across typefaces, and how x-height shapes legibility, leading, and the vertical rhythm of a page.
Tracking vs. Kerning: What's the Difference?
Tracking and kerning both adjust the space between letters, but they solve different problems. Here's how to tell them apart and when to use each.
Building a Modular Type Scale for Posters
How to derive every font size in a poster or layout from a single base size and ratio, instead of guessing at each level of the hierarchy separately.
Choosing a Pen Angle for Broad-Edge Calligraphy
The single adjustment that defines a calligraphic hand's character: how the angle you hold a broad-edge nib at determines where thick and thin strokes fall.
What Is a Baseline Grid, and Why Do Designers Use One?
A baseline grid keeps every text element on a page in vertical rhythm. Here's what it is, why it matters for multi-column layouts, and how to set one up.
Keep Learning
Plain-language explainers on letterform anatomy, calligraphy tools and technique, and type classification and design — everything you need to go deeper with confidence.
Visit the Learn hub →