Weddingbee

I’m not sure how see-through your envelopes are, so this may not work for you.

We hand-addressed all our invitations and to keep from slanting, we printed a piece of cardstock (more sturdy than paper) with thick bold lines similar to notebook paper. Then we cut the template down to envelope size and used it each time we addressed an envelope - we put it inside like the invitation, and the dark lines showed through to the front so we could have a guideline when writing.

HTH!

I was going to suggest a light box and a ruled guide under the envelope, but poster #1’s suggestion of just slipping it inside the envelope totally makes more sense.

If that doesn’t work, though, maybe you can rig up a light box of sorts — got a glass-topped table that can fit a small lamp under it?

the invisible ink and black light trick comes to mind. but you may go blind after sitting there with the black light on for so long…

you could trace the line in the invisible ink. Do your calligraphy under a black lamp, and in regular lighting no one can see the lines.

though i like the first suggestion better myself, lol.

Are you thinking of using a regular fountain pen or one specifically for calligraphy? Calligraphy pens have a wider tip - holding that tip at a 45 degree angle results in the widening and narrowing in flourishes.

Do be careful with fountain pens that you give the ink plenty of time to dry. Have some clear space ready to lay them out while the ink sets. If your envelopes are thick, heavy stock, they’ll soak up the ink, so less chance of smudging. If the envelopes are thin or glossy, I’d go with a calligraphy marker rather than a fountain pen - less chance of smudging or spotting.

With fountain pens, write on a nice surface. I say this because I tend to write things curled up on the couch with a book in my lap to write on. Smooth surfaces prevent skipping, spotting, and smudging. Also, practice on a space envelope for a while - different papers have a different feel under your pen.

For thicker envelopes, you can score your guidelines with a x-acto knife. You’ll be able to see the guidelines under a bright light, but they’ll be subtle on the finished product. Give yourself extra vertical guides for long names, so you don’t run off the envelope.

Hope this helps!

i addressed my own envelopes, too and used the schaffer calligraphy pen set. i did what kandanceandjason did with the lined cardstock inside the envelope and that worked nicely. be sure to give yourself PLENTY of time to get through them all — i found that i couldn’t do more than 8-10 in one sitting without my hand cramping up! have fun and good luck!

I hand addressed and calligraphed (if that’s a word) my invitations too. I used a calligraphy marker (they sell them at Michael’s) b/c the metal tips and such were too intimidating and all I really needed was one black marker. Had plenty of ink and the best part was it needed almost no time to dry! I kept lines straight by drawing pencil lines across the front with a ruler. Because the calligraphy marker dried so quickly I could erase the pencil lines immediately and did not have to worry at all about smudging ink and didn’t have to lay out the envelopes to dry. I highly recommend doing it yourself - saves so much time/money and general wedding angst.

My Dad has been doing calligraphy for years, and instead of using a light box he uses a ruler to draw VERY light lines in pencil, then erases them after the ink dries. Apparently the key is making the lines as light as possible, and then using a clean eraser to gently remove them. That approach does seem outrageously time consuming for invitations, though. The light box might be the way to go! Good luck!

I calligraphied my sister’s 300 invitations, and a friends 100. I used the first suggestion both times, of placing a card with darkly marked lines inside the envelope, and it works very well. As for the pen, they make some pens with the different widths of nibs, that have plastic replaceable “ink wells” filled with the liquid ink. It takes a few strokes on a scrap piece of paper to get the ink flowing, but they work really well. It gives you the appearance of the fountain pen, without the mess; also the ease of the calligraphy marker. Also, if you want to practice the slanted look of more formal calligraphy, they make paper with the slant guides on it, kind of like when you were small and learning to write and had guidelines.

My invites came with a card with four dark black lines pre-printed on it. I just slid the card in the envelope, and there you have it - no more slanted lines! I second the calligraphy pen or marker. I used both and they worked well for me. Good luck!