5 Tips for Writing in a Straight Line

Writing in a straight line on unlined paper can be tricky. There’s nothing worse than writing a nice paragraph filled with beautiful sentiments, and then realizing your handwriting is slanted toward the bottom right corner. In your mind, you were writing perfectly even, left to right, on the page. How did that happen? Short of writing on notebook paper– and who wants to do that when you have gorgeous stationery sitting in your desk drawer?? — what’s the best way to write in a straight line? Here are some tips:

Use the top edge of the paper as your guide

This method will take a little more time, but try to use the top edge of the paper (or the fold if it’s a folded note) as your guide. Carefully keep the spacing even between the top of your letters and the top edge of the page. With each subsequent line, do the same from the bottom of the preceding letters to the line you are writing. As you pass the midpoint of the paper, begin using the bottom edge of the paper as your guide.

Use a ruler and a pencil to place some dots

You can use a few carefully placed, faint pencil dots to mark out your intended lines on the left and right edges of the paper. You can strategically place one or two other dots on each line down the center of the page. See photo. Depending on how dark your marks are, you might have to go back and erase them.

Practice your straight line writing first

These days, we are likely more adept at typing and texting than we are writing with a pen. You may want to make a rough draft on some scrap paper first and then copy it out on your good stationery.

Use lined paper underneath your stationery

This may work for EG letter sheets, but won’t work for our thicker papers, such as our cards and notes. You can place a piece of paper with dark lines underneath your stationery. Use a ruler and a crisp, black sharpie to make the lines.

Go with the flow

If all else fails– perhaps you’re in a hurry and don’t have the time to plan the spacing on your note, intentionally slant your lines. This looks fine, especially if you have just a few lines to write and lots of space.

The next time you sit down to write a thank you note or a letter to someone, think about how it will look on the page before you dive in. With a little bit of forethought, your letter will not only express your thoughts, but also your style.