Which Type Of Writing?

[WaskiSquirrel]

If I'm writing by hand, it's cursive.

 

If I'm writing on the board (as a teacher), I print.

[enchiridion]

At university about 25 years ago the printed one seemed to be a girly thing (which wasn't bad since I studied mostly on notes taken by girlfriends and it was in general easier to read. Some girls in my year even offered to photocopy when I missed class and one even had taken the trouble to get this blue carbon paper by Pelikan to avoid spending money on xeroxing).

I now read a lot of 17th and 18th century handwriting and the 18th is ok, but the 17th seems to be done by members of the medical profession.

 

Lode

[dorothynotgale]

I use a sort of print/cursive hybrid that I've been told is actually very curvy and pretty. The amount to which it's stylized mostly depends on whether I need anyone other than me to be able to comprehend it.

[mAnuscript69]

I write in cursive most of the time except when filling out forms and writing addresses.

 

I can't stand printing for too long, it drives me nuts!

[Runnin_Ute]

Mine is everything from a all caps print to a hybrid to cursive.

 

These days for most things it is mostly cursive anymore and a lot less block. Over the years it evolved from a almost completely all block (which I have been told is very nice & legible too, which I picked up in Junior High when I had to do all caps for drawings for a shop class) to hybrid which is mostly legible and pretty fast (and still raises its head on occasion) to full cursive- and I occasionally get compliments on. I don't really "practice" per se - just write.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Runnin_Ute

[DRWWE]

I wrote in cursive my entire life until I began my professional education seventeen years ago. Then, with writing it patients' charts I began printing for legibility and have done so ever since. My writing is mostly printing with bits of cursive thrown in. I am trying to re-learn cursive but it is slow going. My pseudo-printing is faster but sloppy.

[BrandonA]

I voted both but if I were to be honest "scribble" would better describe my writing style. Unfortunately no fountain pen, no matter how good the nib would make my writing look good.

 

The less I need to write the more likely I am to print. For example, if answering questions I'd write YES or NO or DONE or TODO. If I'm writing sentences then it is more likely to be cursive.

[marcelo]

  On 6/7/2013 at 2:27 AM, enchiridion said:

At university about 25 years ago the printed one seemed to be a girly thing (which wasn't bad since I studied mostly on notes taken by girlfriends and it was in general easier to read. Some girls in my year even offered to photocopy when I missed class and one even had taken the trouble to get this blue carbon paper by Pelikan to avoid spending money on xeroxing).

I now read a lot of 17th and 18th century handwriting and the 18th is ok, but the 17th seems to be done by members of the medical profession.

 

Lode

 

You have been to the university at the same time I did. The big difference is that my class had just one girl. I've read once, after graduating, that mechanical engineering is the graduation with fewer women among all others in Brazil. I did know there would be few girls, what I didn't know is that it would be so bad - in fact two started, but one left at the end of the 1st year.

 

You were in a completely different league, with girls offering you to photocopy the classes. Was it the class that had many girls or was you the kind of a "wanted" guy? http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-devil10.gif

[iamchum]

woh lol, wanted guy

 

I didnt start writing cursive until post-grad, previously I write using big loopy print. Massive letters. I moved onto cursive as a means to be a bit more efficient when I started writing large amounts as a researcher. 2000 words is something I do a night now, not something I do as a semester long assignment. I find it faster, smaller, and uses less paper ink etc. (my cursive is basically Palmer).

[Strombomboli]

  On 6/5/2013 at 8:53 PM, Namru said:

Cursive. Writing in print will kill my mind.

 

I remember filling in a passport renewal form in block print; I came very close to having a mental breakdown by the time I finished it.

 

I can relate to that, it's the same for me. I've always written cursive, because I've always written with a fountain pen, even before I started to buy pens and ink, which was not so long ago. I always said, I can't write with a ballpoint pen, and that's true. I can write with a rollerball pen, though, and I did that when I was working as a journalist; I could hold and use it like a fountain pen.

 

I was very astonished these past few years, when I took language classes at the university, that cursive is not popular among young people. I also noticed that quite a few of them hold their ballpens in a manner which would not allow to write cursive. When I saw the young man who filled out my application form for the library holding his ballpoint pen like a nail in his fist, I got sad and am pretty concerned now that handwriting as a common cultural technique will disappear, i.e., that people will need machines to write, like I need a machine to whip cream.

 

Edited June 7, 2013 by Strombomboli

[JulesSilvan]

I voted both as my handwriting is a mix of cursive and print. It feels more natural than one or the other.

[marcelo]

  On 6/7/2013 at 12:48 PM, Strombomboli said:

I can relate to that, it's the same for me. I've always written cursive, because I've always written with a fountain pen, even before I started to buy pens and ink, which was not so long ago. I always said, I can't write with a ballpoint pen, and that's true. I can write with a rollerball pen, though, and I did that when I was working as a journalist; I could hold and use it like a fountain pen.

 

I was very astonished these past few years, when I took language classes at the university, that cursive is not popular among young people. I also noticed that quite a few of them hold their ballpens in a manner which would not allow to write cursive. When I saw the young man who filled out my application form for the library holding his ballpoint pen like a nail in his fist, I got sad and am pretty concerned now that handwriting as a common cultural technique will disappear, i.e., that people will need machines to write, like I need a machine to whip cream.

 

Really interesting what you said. As a coincidence, yesterday I went to cut my hair with my little boy, 3 YO, who also had his cut. My wife was with us and there she chatted with a lady whose 4 YO son started playing with our kid.

 

She told my wife her son had a hard time using pencils at school, because he learned to draw and only did it on his tablet. Sad.

Edited June 7, 2013 by marcelo

[Cyber6]

  On 6/5/2013 at 8:00 PM, marcelo said:

I'm curious because my interest on fountain pens brought me back to the calligraphy sheets and the intent to relearn cursive writing after 25 years of print writing (engineering school is to blame).

 

Electrical Engineer here.... I have use cursive all my life. Palmer method since grade one!!!

 

I find cursive writing so much faster and natural... than print.

[Strombomboli]

I want to add that I am more careful with my writing since I have these stub nibs on my TWSBIs. I used to write my big A like a printed one and am now practicing a return to the cursive one. I decided, though, that I will continue with my printed big S and X. So I am mostly working on the A.

 

I have to add some more: I think, I started being conscious about my way of writing when I started to learn Russian and thus had to learn to write another alphabet. Now, writing is the part I like most about my Russian studies; the cyrillic alphabet brings me close to actually painting letters.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Strombomboli

[Strombomboli]

  On 6/7/2013 at 2:08 PM, marcelo said:

She told my wife her son had a hard time using pencils at school, because he learned to draw and only did it on his tablet. Sad.

 

Really sad.

[MadAmos]

I am in the mostly printing camp in the past few years I have been resurrecting my cursive skills but I slip back into my printing habit much of the time. It is partly because for me cursive is faster (and consequentially messier) and my thoughts just can't keep up

Edited June 7, 2013 by MadAmos

[Xray]

I write in standard joined-up letter forms but I have a left slant.

[51ISH]

Sorry if this offends.....no really......

Why anyone would want to write in 'print' when writing with a fountain pen .......

I find difficult to comprehend...

 

To my mind at least, the pen was designed / made to write in a cursive style (capillary action etc rather than to print)

 

I agree some people (for some strange reason) find this hard to read.....unfortunately.......while I hope I am not arrogant......this is their problem and not mine....

 

OK this does sound arrogant....if you can't read my cursive ....you can't read any......

 

So.....frankly....I don't care........

 

Now ....that really does sound arrogant.....sorry.......

[marcelo]

  On 6/7/2013 at 10:05 PM, 51ISH said:

Sorry if this offends.....no really......

Why anyone would want to write in 'print' when writing with a fountain pen .......

I find difficult to comprehend...

Good point.

 

The thing is: you learned to write in cursive, like all of us (I assume) did. For some reason, you changed to print and, later, started enjoyed fountain pens. So, the question is not "want", but "need" to write in print with a fountain pen because it's the way you've become used to. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-confused005.gif

 

What you can do, however, is relearning to write in cursive to better enjoy the experience of using a fountain pen. That's what I'm doing. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy112.gif

Edited June 7, 2013 by marcelo

[51ISH]

  On 6/7/2013 at 11:11 PM, marcelo said:

Good point.

 

The thing is: you learned to write in cursive, like all of us (I assume) did. For some reason, you changed to print and, later, started enjoyed fountain pens. So, the question is not "want", but "need" to write in print with a fountain pen because it's the way you've become used to. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-confused005.gif

 

What you can do, however, is relearning to write in cursive to better enjoy the experience of using a fountain pen. That's what I'm doing. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-happy112.gif

 

Hi marcelo

 

I think you maybe missed my point my friend.....

 

If 'they' don't like my cursive......I don't care........

 

I never print......and won't....never wrote in 'print' and don't intend to.......