Pointed pen vs broad nib
Western calligraphy splits into two families by tool. A broad, chisel-edged nib held at a fixed angle produces blackletter and italic hands: thick and thin strokes come from the angle of the pen. A flexible pointed nib produces copperplate and Spencerian script: thick strokes come from pressing harder on the downstroke.
The Script and Bold Script lines below echo the pointed-pen family; Blackletter and Bold Blackletter echo the broad-nib family.
For printed pieces, use a real font
Unicode text is ideal for social profiles and messages. For invitations, signage or a tattoo stencil you want a real calligraphy typeface with ligatures and swashes; our tattoo lettering preview includes pointed-pen script faces like Great Vibes and Monsieur La Doulaise that you can download as an image.