Learning The Palmer Method Of Business Writing

[DLindenbaum]

First and foremost I would like to thank smk's thread Learning Copperplate... for giving me the idea of making one about learning the Palmer Method of Business Writing.

 

An Introduction

My name is D Lindenbaum. I'm an artist whom is thirteen-years-old and has a website thelindenbaums.com where I hope you may look at. I believe, even at my young age, that good penmanship is important. I see many of my friends at school and, no offence, their handwriting is atrocious! Not many do cursive regularly besides me and some few others.

 

The Palmer Method of Business Writing

I have decided, not quite long ago, that I want to learn the Palmer Method of Business Writing for I want to improve my penmanship and, quite actually, enjoy writing with my dear Parker Frontier fountain pen and paper by my side. My birthday was just several days ago--November 1--and I asked my dad if he should buy me a red leather diary from Eccolo. He did, but I have not yet started one entry for my dad is buying some Parker black ink refill cartridges that should arrive within a few days. For now I am using blue ink cartridges that I do not know the name of.

 

What You Can Do

Don't just sit there! You too can come and join in the experience of learning the Palmer Method.

 

1.I hope that others will join in and we'll all learn in a collaborative manner - critiquing, advising and supporting each other.

2.I also hope to receive advice from members who are experienced in this hand from time to time.

(Thank you smk for these two statements.)

 

Examples/Guidance

I have been using the lessons on palmermethod.com and iampeth.com for guidance on instructing the method.

 

I have been practicing before this thread was even made, but with my desire for sharing my progress I made this thread inspired by smk.

 

Here's an example picture of my writing after I practiced the method.

 

http://i42.tinypic.com/vdqas.jpg

Edited November 5, 2011 by DLindenbaum

[knitknitfrog]

Already there is clear improvement - and you are right - good legible handwriting is something to strive for, expect and be proud of.

Well done, travel wellon your new journey of discovery and mastery

Stella

[fast14riot]

You have a nice hand, easy to read. I just hope that as you progress in school you don't lose it. My handwriting beacame pretty bad after my first semester of history in college where we had to take a tremendous amount of notes. I had a servicable back-up though, I am a mechanical designer by training and learned drafting with pencil and paper. Learning to letter a drawing without a template was very beneficial because it forced you to have legible writing, even if block lettering.

 

I do notice a considerable amount of slant to your writing, which compresses the round forms. Standing it up just ever so little can make a more attractive lettering (IMO) and increase words per line.

 

Well done!

 

 

-X

[DLindenbaum]

Thank you both. I just went over to Staples, bought two Parker black ink refill cartridges for my Frontier, and started writing my diary. Today was a fun, adventerous day for me.

 

How many degrees should my slant be--for the Palmer Method? Are there any guidance sheets?

[fast14riot]

I don't know about any specific degree of slant, I was just merely making an observation of your current hand. I don't know much about palmer method, but it should still be individual. Just try perfect uniformity and I think you will have a very pleasing style.

 

 

-Xander

[DLindenbaum]

Practice from today:

 

http://i40.tinypic.com/15hio7o.jpg

 

Don't know if I'm completely satisfied. As stated in the last sentence of the picture, any tips, tricks would be recommended. I would love to see some pictures of your experience with learning this method.

[vincentstao]

I'm trying to learn the Palmer method too. Can anyone tell me how to do the drill with the straight lines? I don't really understand its instructions and the size and speed of it.

[DLindenbaum]

I don't always read the instructions when I'm suppose to... But I don't think reading them is all that important either. I just do the drills and practices from what I see in the book.

[caliken]

How many degrees should my slant be--for the Palmer Method? Are there any guidance sheets?

Spencerian/ Business Writing is written at a slope angle of 52 degrees from the horizontal. Go to www.Iampeth.com for guidance sheets and instructions.

Edited November 6, 2011 by caliken

[rcarlisle]

You already have beautiful handwriting. I learned the Palmer Cursive when I was in grade school fifty years ago. My handwriting was never anywhere near as good as yours is. I finally gave it up three years ago and learned Chancery Cursive . I find it stays legible even when I have to write very quickly while taking notes. But I have recently gotten a flex nib vintage Waterman and I would like to relearn my Palmer or Spencerian to use with it.

[OcalaFlGuy]

It looks like both DL and Vincent have the proper tools to improve their writing. Practice does indeed make perfect. Do your practicing however it is the most fun AND challenging to you, that will make it easier to stick with it.

 

[<whispering a dirty little secret.> Just because all of us have nice pens doesn't mean we all have nice penmanship. DL, yours has some wishing theirs was that nice I'm sure.]

 

One of the main reasons I got back into FPs was to help rescue my handwriting while it was still rescueable.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl-A,B, teacher can I have another piece of paper

[Fabienne]

Fabulous handwriting. I bet some of your contemporaries are quite jealous! They should be. Great handwriting is a lost art and should come back as a mark of the man (or the woman). I remember people teaching me the Palmer method in school (I am actually very old you see) and I liked it but could not wait to make up my own handwriting and I am still at it 98 years later. Welcome to the journey. I do think that learning Palmer is the first step but it's like The Goldberg Variations....I bet you are going to come up with some wonderful evolutions.

[pmhudepo]

A great idea to post your progress in public! I will probably not be learning this script myself, but it will be interesting to watch. Please continu and include comments about your progress, about pen grip, posture, time spent etc. Best of luck!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Always admired the Palmer method, wanted to learn, but am handicapped by southpaw-ness.

[Winchester]

I've been trying to learn this but it's not feeling natural, having problems getting enough movement sometimes, I am used to lift the right arm into the air so it can move freely, so putting it down and letting it "wobble" back and forth on the muscle is a bit strange to me.

 

I am not sure if I hold the hand right either, when I normally write I keep my wrist and hand rotated maybe a 45 degree angle (put your right hand flat on the table, rotate it so the thumb lifts into the air, that's what I mean by rotation), but if am I understanding the instructions correctly I should have the wrist and hand flat against the writing surface instead.

[DLindenbaum]

Found a near-mint condition Palmer Method textbook from 1915. Might have to buy it soon; super cheap!

 

Should I or should I not? :hmm1:

[Sailor Kenshin]

Should.

[tenney]

What, if any, are good URLs for improving / re-learning penmanship?

[DLindenbaum]

I think I'm going to buy the textbook. Might as well buy a Parket Vector or Reflex while I'm at it. Will update on progress sometime this weekend.

 

tenney: Go to http://www.iampeth.com/lessons.php. A perfect resource for improving/repeating your penmanship; mainly cursive.

[tenney]

Thank you -- looks like a good site. You added a closing period to the link, so here it is corrected: http://www.iampeth.com/lessons.php