Use Your Talent In Your Own Calligraphy Business

Use Your Talent In Your Own Calligraphy Business

Calligraphy is a business where you use your skill and artistic

talents to apply beautifully styled hand lettering to the

customer's paperwork.

While calligraphy is considered an art, unlike sculpting and oil

painting it is also considered an acquirable one for most people

with basic ability and a desire to learn.

A person with basic artistic ability can easily learn this

specialty which is in demand for a number of situations.

Every stationery store gets orders for specialized, hand-letter

printing that only a calligrapher can do: wedding announcements

(sometimes even addressing the cards), menus, certificates,

invitations, place mats, personalized greeting cards, etc.

Orders of less than 100 or so are very expensive to have printed

commercially with calligraphy type, (that look machine printed):

so there is almost no competition for short-run (less that 500)

orders.

Even though a printer can make a thousand copies of a

hand-lettered menu in a photo-process, someone (a calligrapher)

must do the original!

Few printers or stationery stores have their own in-house

calligrapher; they routinely send this type of work out - often

to another city or state.

Stores in your area would undoubtedly happy to have the same

quality done faster and probably cheaper (counting postage)

nearby!

Learning the art of calligraphy is not difficult for one with a

little talent. There are countless books, and kits available at

almost any book store; many under $10.00.

Basically, the fancy effect is attained with broad tipped pens

that make wide vertical strokes and narrow ones horizontally.

Drawing a circle while holding the pen in the same position will

yield an "O" with fat sides and skinny top and bottom. Turning

the pen results in various other effects, and even more are

achieved with different pin point shapes, (wider, more rounded,

etc.).

The calligrapher normally learns one alphabet at a time, and

adds to his or her repertoire as each new one is mastered. Some

of the more ornate alphabets (fonts) understandably require more

practice, but most of them are variations or additions to

previously learned techniques.

To get into the calligraphy business, buy a kit, learn a few

alphabets, practice until you feel confident, then put out the

word that you are available.

Design and letter your own business cards (or have them printed

- see next paragraph). Personally call on shops that sell

products that lend themselves to your talents.

Give them your card, leave samples and an idea of your prices,

so they know how to quote your service retail. If you both

retail and wholesale jobs, be sure to charge full retail to

retail customers or risk alienating your wholesale accounts.

This is usually handled best by giving your wholesale customers

"suggested" retailed prices - and informing them (if they ask)

and if you do retail, it is at these prices only (and do it!).

Here is a hint to have some fabulous looking calligrapher

business cards. First, lay out your "master" 4 or more times the

size it will end up.

The normal business cards is 2" x 3 1/2", so four times that

size would be 8 by 14. Or, you could make it 3 times as big 6 by

10 1/2.

Print your design and copy (include logo if desired - even if

you cut out and glue it onto your "master." When satisfied, take

it to the local stationery store and have it reduced to the

proper-size on their copier (you may have to white-out shadows

or lines from a glued-on logo.

When you get to business card size (2 by 3 1/2 inches) you will

be amazed at how much sharper it looks! Then, take your copy

ready master to a printer have him run off your business cards.

The printer will photograph your card and use his photo offset

process - which is easier and cheaper than having to set type

and lay out the copy.

If there is not a good printer locally, check Sources, below.

While you are at it, have him "emboss" your cards. This used to

be an expensive process (and still looks expensive), but now it

is simply a special ink that expands (bubbles) when heated (the

printer uses a roaster). The resulting raised print effect is

beautiful!

Make up sets of samples for your wholesale customers (one set

can be copied for customers and you keep the originals to avoid

any appearance of favoritism).

Include samples that represent the range of your capabilities

and also give potential customers an idea of how to use your

services.

For example, a sheet of nice, quality paper with the same

message in several different styles, examples of greeting cards,

decorated menus, company name logos, a fancy certificate, desk

sign, etc.

Samples are suggestive - they can lead to impulse purchases.

Fees for calligraphy are usually by the piece (with a letter

limit), by the letter (with adjustments for size) or a

combination of both, plus any additional decorations or

illustrations.

The price also is affected by the amount and detail required.

The calligrapher can often expand an order by suggesting the

envelopes be addressed in matching script!

The easiest way to price your work for wholesale, retail, or

combination of both is to quote everything retail and give your

wholesale accounts a 35-40% discount from listed "suggested

retail" prices.

This way, your retail prices are "up front," and you can use the

same samples and price lists for both retail and wholesale

customers.

It also saves your wholesale accounts the trouble of figuring

out or making up their own retail price lists - it makes it EASY

for them to sell your products.

A potential problem area in this business is getting the

instructions and/or copy wrong. One misspelled name or price can

ruin the whole job!

To be safe, keep clear copies of all orders, and have any

doubtful job orders initialed. While doing the job you have ANY

doubts, don't guess: call the customer for clarification!

You may also have to experiment with different types of erasing

systems and products. Always do this on test scraps first for

different combinations of paper and ink, to avoid ruining

something in which you have invested several hours of work!

BUSINESS SOURCES

DICK BLICK CO.,

Box 1267, Galesburg,

IL 61407-1267,

800/477-8192.

Wholesale art (including calligraphy) and sign supplies. Old, well-

respected company; good prices.

THE KELSEY CO.,

Box 941, Meriden,

CT 06450,

203/235-1695.

Wholesale printing and related (including calligraphy) supplies.

Old, reliable company; excellent prices.

JERRY'S ARTARAMA, INC.,

1105 Hyde Park, New York,

NY 10040-8182,

718/343-4545.

Wholesale art supplies. Large company.

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.,

31 E. 2nd St., Mineola,

NY 11015,

516/294-7000.

Good source for discount reference books; many on calligraphy

related subjects, plus clip-art and stencils.

ZPS,

Box 581, Libertyville,

IL 60048-2556.

Business cards ($11.50 per thousand, raised print) and letterhead.

Will print from your copy ready design (cut or whole card).

PUBLISHERS CENTRAL BUREAU,

Box 1187, Newark,

NJ 07102-1187.

Discount reference (etc.) books,

QUILL CORPORATION,

100 Schelter Rd., Lincolnshire,

IL 60907-4700,

312/634-4800. 312/634-4800.

Office supplies.

NEBS,

500 Main St., Groton,

MA 04171,

800/225-6380.

Office supplies.

WALTER DRAKE,

4119 Drake Bldg., Colorado Springs,

CO 80940.

Short run business cards and stationery with no choice of colors

or style, but good quality for the price.