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How to Write with a Fountain Pen

If you’re accustomed to writing with ballpoint or gel pens, using fountain pens may take some getting used to. Read on to learn how to hold and write with a fountain pen or watch our videos below.

How to Hold a Fountain Pen
Hold the fountain pen using your preferred grip style. Make sure the nib is facing up and angled at about 45 degrees to the paper.
Hold the fountain pen using your preferred grip style. Make sure the nib is facing up and angled at about 45 degrees to the paper.
The following steps are the basics when it comes to holding a fountain pen. For more details and tips, keep reading.

  1. 1. Hold the pen using your preferred grip style.
  2. 2. Make sure the nib is facing up and angled at about 45 degrees to the paper.
  3. 3. Glide the nib across the paper using light pressure.

How Do You Write with a Fountain Pen?
Get Familiar with Holding Your Fountain Pen
Posting the cap on the back of the pen can affect how balanced it feels in the hand.
Posting the cap on the back of the pen can affect how balanced it feels in the hand.
Before writing, take a moment to get comfortable with holding your pen. Your usual grip style for other pens and pencils should work well without having to make major changes.

If needed, consider if you want to post the cap on the back of the pen. This can make some pens feel more balanced (especially for those with larger hands) or uncomfortably back-weighted. Experiment to see what works best for you.

Grasp the grip section above the nib with your fingers. Do your best to hold your pen in a relaxed position.
Grasp the grip section above the nib with your fingers. Do your best to hold your pen in a relaxed position.
Grasp the grip section above the nib with your fingers. Rest the pen barrel on the side of your hand. Fountain pens typically have wider grip sections than those on typical pens, so you don’t have to squeeze hard to feel like you have a good grasp. Squeezing on the grip section may cause pain and fatigue in your hand and wrist, so do your best to hold your pen in a relaxed position.
Angle the Fountain Pen
Hold the pen so the nib is at about a 45 degree angle to the paper. This is generally lower than how you would hold a ballpoint or gel pen.
Hold the pen so the nib is at about a 45 degree angle to the paper. This is generally lower than how you would hold a ballpoint or gel pen.
Hold the pen so the nib is at about a 45 degree angle to the paper. This is generally lower than how you would hold a ballpoint or gel pen. If you find this position uncomfortable, try higher or lower angles as needed. You may even be able to grasp your fountain pen at the same angle that you typically hold other pens at!

The nib’s tip, which can be made up of two or more tines, needs to make full contact with the paper for consistent ink flow. The top of the nib (the side opposite the feed) should be facing up. Avoid twisting the pen clockwise or counterclockwise as you write, which you may be used to doing if you use pencils and want to keep the graphite sharp. Twisting while writing with a fountain pen may cause the ink slit between the tines to lose contact with the page and the pen could skip or stop writing altogether.

Use Less Pressure
With fountain pens, you only need just enough pressure to make sure the nib stays in contact with the paper.
With fountain pens, you only need just enough pressure to make sure the nib stays in contact with the paper.
Most ballpoint pens need you to press on the tip to deposit ink properly. With fountain pens, you only need just enough pressure to make sure the nib stays in contact with the paper. Pressing too hard on the nib could cause the tines to “spring,” a serious, often irreparable form of damage where the tines splay out and do not return to their original shape.
Find the "Sweet Spot"
The “sweet spot” is the angle and position where the nib makes contact with the paper and allows for smooth, effortless writing.
The “sweet spot” is the angle and position where the nib makes contact with the paper and allows for smooth, effortless writing.
The “sweet spot” is the angle and position where the nib makes contact with the paper and allows for smooth, effortless writing. Generally speaking, if you’re holding your pen at around a 45 degree angle and the tines are evenly touching the paper, you’ll be able to “hit” the sweet spot.

Keep in mind that you may need to alter your angle and grip slightly depending on the size of your pen and its tip shape. You may also need to make adjustments depending on your writing surface, such as when you write closer to the spine of a notebook.

Choosing the Right Fountain Pen Supplies
Fountain Pens
Consider a beginner fountain pen to learn about its different parts and how each component works.
Consider a beginner fountain pen to learn about its different parts and how each component works.
Consider a beginner fountain pen to learn about its different parts and how each component works. You’ll also pick up the basics of filling and cleaning your pen. Those who write with a “death grip” can consider an ergonomic fountain pen that will encourage a looser tripod grasp.
If you’re unsure which nib size to choose, we find that a fine nib works best for everyday writing.
If you’re unsure which nib size to choose, we find that a fine nib works best for everyday writing. The above writing samples were created using Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen nibs.
If you’re unsure which nib size to choose, we find that a fine nib works best for everyday writing. It’ll create lines similar in width to those made by ballpoint or gel pens and won’t put down much ink for faster dry times.
Fountain Pen Inks
Fountain pen ink lets you access a rainbow of colors that add personality to notes, artwork, and more. Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao is available in bottles and proprietary cartdiges.
Fountain pen ink lets you access a rainbow of colors that add personality to notes, artwork, and more. Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao is available in bottles and proprietary cartdiges.
Fountain pen ink lets you access a rainbow of colors that add personality to notes, artwork, and more. Only fountain pen ink can be used in fountain pens. Other inks, such as calligraphy ink or drawing ink, contain resins and other binders that will clog or damage fountain pens.

To learn about the most common ink formulations, the pros and cons of ink bottles and ink cartridges, and our beginner-friendly ink recommendations, read our guide.

Fountain Pen Paper
Pair your fountain pen and ink with fountain pen friendly paper.
Pair your fountain pen and ink with fountain pen friendly paper.
Pair your fountain pen and ink with fountain pen friendly paper. Compared to ordinary copy paper, fountain pen paper is designed to prevent unwanted effects from occurring, like feathering (when ink absorbs into the fibers of paper and causes lines to appear fuzzy) and bleedthrough (when ink soaks through paper to the back of the page). As a result, inks will take longer to dry and may increase the chances of smudging.
Pick up blotting paper to help with dry times. It’s highly absorbent and can be pressed on top of excess ink to soak it up.
Pick up blotting paper to help with dry times.
Pick up blotting paper to help with dry times. It’s highly absorbent and can be pressed on top of excess ink to soak it up. The JetPens team also suggests keeping a sheet of blotting paper underneath your hand as you write to keep hand oils from transferring to the paper and affecting how the ink dries.

There are several fountain pen paper characteristics to consider, such as paper color, texture, and sheet style. Finding the best paper or notebooks for your fountain pen and ink comes down to personal preferences.

Tips for Writing with Fountain Pens
Posture
If you’re able to, sit upright when writing. Hunching over a desk may feel comfortable at first, but it can lead to strain in your neck, shoulders, and back.
If you’re able to, sit upright when writing. Hunching over a desk may feel comfortable at first, but it can lead to strain in your neck, shoulders, and back.
Good ergonomics doesn’t just apply to how you hold your fountain pen; it also includes your posture. If you’re able to, sit upright when writing. Hunching over a desk may feel comfortable at first, but it can lead to strain in your neck, shoulders, and back. Rest both feet flat on the floor and keep your shoulders and arms relaxed. Angle the paper to keep your wrist in a natural position. Finally, don't sit for long periods of time—take a break and stretch every once in a while!
Practice Your Penmanship
Practicing your penmanship is key to increasing the legibility of your print or cursive writing.
Practicing your penmanship is key to increasing the legibility of your print or cursive writing.
Using a fountain pen won’t automatically make your handwriting beautiful. Therefore, practicing your penmanship is key to increasing the legibility of your print or cursive writing. We recommend going slow and being consistent—if you can spare a little bit of time every day to practice, you’re likely to see improvements over time.

Try placing guide sheets and writing boards under paper to keep the size, shape, and angle of letters uniform. There are also worksheets that act as a reference for familiarizing yourself with stroke order and tracing letterforms to build muscle memory.

For more tips on how to improve your handwriting, read our guide.

Write with Your Arm
Use your entire arm including your shoulder and elbow to guide your movements when writing to prevent your fingers and wrist from becoming strained.
Use your entire arm including your shoulder and elbow to guide your movements when writing to prevent your fingers and wrist from becoming strained.
Many writers depend solely on their fingers and wrist to write, which can place excessive strain on the smaller muscles and joints. To avoid this, use your entire arm including your shoulder and elbow to guide your movements. You'll engage the larger muscle groups of your arm that are less likely to fatigue during long writing sessions.

We should note that it takes some time to get used to writing like this, but with practice, it’ll feel more natural.

Left-Handed Writing
Left-handed writers can, of course, also enjoy fountain pens! They may need to make some adjustments to combat challenges like heightened feelings of feedback and smearing ink.
Left-handed writers can, of course, also enjoy fountain pens! They may need to make some adjustments to combat challenges like heightened feelings of feedback and smearing ink.
Left-handed writers can, of course, also enjoy fountain pens! The two main challenges they may face are heightened feelings of feedback (the sensation of the nib moving across the paper) and smeared inks.

Since left-handers are more likely to “push” the nib instead of “pull” it across the page, it can feel scratchy or as though you’re digging into the paper. To combat this, consider using a larger nib size that’ll put down more ink and make writing feel smoother. Some pens come with nibs with slightly slanted tips that better match the angle at which left-handed people write. It’s also a good idea to pick up fountain pen paper that’s notably smooth, such as Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads, Kobeha Graphilo Notebooks, and Stalogy 016 Notebooks.

To deal with smearing fresh ink, left-handers can change their hand position so they are underwriting, which keeps the hand beneath the line where you’re writing. Placing a sheet of blotting paper underneath your hand can help absorb ink as well.

Enjoy the Process!
The more you write with your fountain pen, the more comfortable you’ll feel.
The more you write with your fountain pen, the more comfortable you’ll feel.
The more you write with your fountain pen, the more comfortable you’ll feel. Try using your pen throughout the day; you may be surprised at all the writing opportunities you encounter! Many fountain pen users will record memories in a journal or draw urban sketches, while others will use their pen to jot down ideas and quotes in a small notebook or sign important documents and checks (just be sure to use the right ink to protect yourself from fraud!).
Conclusion

Writing with a fountain pen takes a little bit of time and patience, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be finding ways to incorporate it into your daily life. Do you have any tips for writing with a fountain pen? Let us know in the comments!

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Looking to try fountain pens but not sure where to start? Check out our Fountain Pen Starter Kit, which includes a pen, inks, and notebooks.
Looking to try fountain pens but not sure where to start? Check out our Fountain Pen Starter Kit, which includes a pen, inks, and notebooks.
Looking to try fountain pens but not sure where to start? Check out our Fountain Pen Starter Kit, Beginner Fountain Pen Sampler, and fountain pen friendly Paper Samplers! Each set has been curated to include best sellers and favorites to take the guesswork out of finding the right supplies.

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