Hand Lettering

With the launch of its new Hand Lettering Pad, paper-maker HAHNEMÜHLE explores the world of lettering with artist Mia Warner.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I love letters and dogs. I moved from the Gloucestershire countryside to Brighton to study graphic design, became obsessed with typography and realised I preferred working with my hands, so I moved to London to do that for a living.

What is hand lettering? And what is the difference between it, calligraphy and typography?

Hand lettering is drawing and creating letters, words, phrases and arrangements with your hands, individually as illustrations, rather than by writing or typing. Although there are links with calligraphy and typography, there is much more freedom in terms of style and construction.

Typography involves fonts and typefaces. Type designers construct letters of the same style to fit together in one alphabet, which is used by graphic designers. Calligraphy also follows certain rules because of the tools involved.