Tools Used for

Lettering

Pens, Pencils, and

Other Tools used for
Hand-Lettering Type
The question I get asked most often is what
tools I used to letter my designs, so I’ve
decided to dedicate an entire page to share
everything I use. Please do keep in mind that
the tools listed is what works for me best, so
go out there, try everything, and find ones that
suit you!
Staedtler Mars
Technico
My lead holder. It is a cross between a
traditional pencil and a mechanical pencil. The
great thing about it is that you can get it to the
sharpness as you want like a traditional pencil,
and is as convenient as a mechanical pencil
when changing the lead.
I use it to sketch an preliminary drawings, as
well as for the final sketch of my designs.
Staedtler Lead
Sharpner
Used to sharpen my lead holders. I love this
because it gets my Mars Technico to the
sharpness of my liking.

Felt Pens
My favorite pens to use to ink my designs. I
definitely do not use them to write, but use
them specifically for outlining and filling in all
of my sketches.
I use a 0.05 for outlining and a 08 for filling in.
There are lots of brands out there, but my
favorite ones to use are MICRON,
MILLENNIUM, and STAEDTLER.
I find that MICRONS are more ‘wet’ and ‘inky’
and darker than the others. MILLENNIUMS are
cheaper and much more comfortable to hold.
And STAEDTLERS are a great in-between.
Brush Pens
Brush pens are great because they allow you
to go back and forth between thick and thin
strokes. This is good for script writing, or
filling in large spaces with ink. I also use them
to take great notes. They come in soft brushes
and hard brushes; I would recommend hard
brush tips for beginners because they are
much easier to control. Personal favorites are
from Kuretake.
Nib Pen
The tool of the calligrapher. This tool is a lot of
fun because there are thousands of nibs you
can try out, as well as different styles such as
Spencerian, Copperplate, or Round Hand. Nibs
I use come from Leonardt, Brause, Hiro, and
Tachikawa.
Flat Pen
I use two different flat pens, the PILOT
PARALLEL and the ROTRING ART PEN. They
come in different sizes, and the ones I use are
1.1, 1.5 and 3.8. I use them for gothic and
script calligraphy, and mainly use them
for making quick little sketches. I also use
them for taking great notes.
Brushes
Brushes are great because they leave a nice,
natural texture and are used to present a
messier style. Creating type or illustrations
with brush and paint definitely has a different
feel to it.
Ruling pen
a. Sharpen the nibs or blade of the ruling pen when
it is no longer in a parabolical
shape.
b. Rub the dried ink on the nibs with the use of
paper to avoid clogging at its end
when in use.
A.After using, clean the speed ballpen by wiping-off
or scraping the ink on it with
clean cloth, which is a little wet or you may use
blade for scrapping.
B. Lettering pens, like technical pens, should be
clean at once with clean water and
soap. Wipe it off with clean cloth.