Surface

Ensure it is smooth, clean and really black

(eventually it will need a repaint or renewal, if it becomes worn). Unless you are using BHMA’s Eaziwipe boards which never need maintenance.

Forming Letters

Follow the diagram below stroke by stroke to form your letters.

Writing Straight

Put lines of masking tape across the board and then write between the lines or, use a Carb‘O’thello pencil to mark lines (Easily wipes off with slightly dampened finger) please make sure your wetwipe pen has dried first. If you are using waterproof pens then use a chinese white water colour pencil for the lines, as these will wipe off with a wet cloth once your waterproof ink is dry.

Correct proportion text

Make capital letters 8 times the width of the line the pen produces, which means that as the nib is a chisel tip, you can write two widths, approx 3mm (with the tip) and 6mm (with the whole nib). So a capital letter should be about 24mm tall using the tip and 48mm tall with the full nib. The main body of lower case letters will be 13-14mm tall with the tip and 27mm tall using the full nib.

Type of lettering

Print off some letters in different fonts from a computer and see which one suits your business the best, then practice writing the letters the same as the computer fonts you printed.

Use of Colour

Black and white are opposite colours and nothing will stand out more, or look more traditional, however colour can enhance pictures and highlight particular parts of the text.

Pens themselves

Store them laying down, NEVER standing on end, as the ink solids will collect at the end of the pen barrel and won’t be disturbed by the ball as intended when you shake it.

ALWAYS shake them for 30 seconds continuously before use

Prime ‘new ink’ into the nib of your pen before starting.

Write with ‘pulling strokes’ refer to a calligraphy book for this process.

To clean off Illumigraph pens from a non-porous surface, use water.

To clean off waterproof pens use Mr Muscle Kitchen cleaner, spray the board and; most importantly, leave to dissolve the ink before agitating and cleaning off with water.

Enjoy writing your boards.

Copyright BHMA 1993