• WEDDING STATIONERY
    • ENVELOPES
  • INVITATIONS
    • MEET GRACE
    • DESIGN PROCESS
  • SHOP
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
Menu

Grace Niu Design | Wedding stationery & calligraphy studio in Chicago

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number

Your Custom Text Here

Grace Niu Design | Wedding stationery & calligraphy studio in Chicago

  • SERVICES
    • WEDDING STATIONERY
    • ENVELOPES
  • INVITATIONS
  • ABOUT
    • MEET GRACE
    • DESIGN PROCESS
  • SHOP
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT

My Favorite Calligraphy & Lettering Supplies

August 28, 2017 Grace Niu
Ziller Oblique Holder, Nikko G Nib, and Dr Ph Martin's Copperplate Gold ink pictured. Photo and lettering by Grace Niu Design

Ziller Oblique Holder, Nikko G Nib, and Dr Ph Martin's Copperplate Gold ink pictured. Photo and lettering by Grace Niu Design

Wondering what kind of gold ink I like to use? Or what nib I use for almost all my calligraphy work? I've rounded up a bunch of my favorite supplies below in case you're looking for any suggestions on what to buy!

CALLIGRAPHY

Ziller Oblique Holder (pictured above)

  • This is one of the plastic nib holders I use. There are a few different types of this brand depending on which nib you're trying to use it with, but the one I linked is for the Nikko G nib since that's pretty popular.

Blackwell Holder

  • Ok, this is my newest splurge and obsession. I say splurge because it's not cheap as far as a pen holder goes, but treat it with care and it should last forever. This is a universal nib holder, meaning it holds almost any nib. Tighten the screw to make sure the nib stays in place. It is a beauty, and I love that it fits any nib, in case you need convincing...

Brause Steno Nib (Blue Pumpkin)

  • A sturdy nib, so you'll need to press harder for more thin/thick line weight differentiation, but very good for writing on rougher papers or handmade paper because it's not as sharp of a nib point, so it won't catch as easily on textured surfaces.

Brause Extra Fine 66 Nib (EF66)

  • My favorite nib because it's pretty springy which lends itself to really nice thin/thick line weight differentiations. I use this for almost everything I can, and I use this on marble tiles!

Hunt 101 Nib

  • A very soft nib, meaning it doesn't take much pressure to make the ink come out in thick spurts, so be careful! But once you get the hang of this nib, it's great. It creates very thick lines as well as very thin lines too.

Nikko G Nib (pictured above)

  • One of the more popular beginner nibs because it helps you learn to not press so hard and control your pressure. I rarely use this nib anymore, but it's always good to have a few on hand! I know a lot of people who use this for everything and for marble tiles too.

LETTERING

Tombow Fudenosuke Hard & Soft Tip Brush Pens

  • Great brush pen set. One requires a bit more pressure (hard) and the other less so. I use both, depending on what kind of lettering look I'm going for!

Pentel Sign Pen, Brush Tip

  • Similar to the above pens, but I don't believe this one is waterproof. This one is more similar to the Tombow Hard tip one above.

Robert Simmons White Sable 3/0 Brush

  • I use this for brush lettering on envelopes. Great springy quality that allows me to use thicker inks like gouache or Bleedproof White without a problem.

Winsor & Newton Cotman 0 Round Brush

  • Good for brush lettering with more watery inks and watercolors. Also good for general watercolor painting in small areas.

Kuretake Water Brushes

  • I also use these for brush lettering. These give a more bold brushy look because the brush hairs are very sturdy synthetic bristles. You can fill these with ink, or water and then dip into a watercolor pan, but you can also use them by just dipping into ink, which is what I do.

Sharpie Oil Based Paint Pen - White

  • One of my favorite white paint pens that is readily available. Decently opaque coverage.

Sakura Pen Touch Paint Pen - Gold

  • This paint pen is slightly more "brass" in color than the Sharpie gold paint pen, but this one is still my favorite. Writes well and the ink is pretty consistent.

Sakura Pen Touch Paint Pen - Copper

  • Same pen as above but in copper! Love it.

Molotow Empty Pump Paint Pen

  • I discovered this recently. It's an empty paint pen basically that you can fill with ink - perfect for those times when you want a paint pen in a random color like gray or navy. I think Molotow sells special ink that you can put in here, but I also use Golden High-Flow acrylics (see "Inks & Paints" category below). I filled mine with white and it wrote sooo well.
Custom mix of Dr. Ph Martin's Copperplate Gold and Pearl Ex Super Bronze pictured. Photo and lettering by Grace Niu Design

Custom mix of Dr. Ph Martin's Copperplate Gold and Pearl Ex Super Bronze pictured. Photo and lettering by Grace Niu Design

INKS & PAINTS

Dr. Ph Martin's Iridescent Copperplate Gold (pictured above, mixed with Pearl Ex)

  • My favorite gold ink. Very consistent, opaque, and waterproof, and you can just dip your nib directly into the ink and use it right away.

Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay India Ink, Black

  • A very dark, pigmented and opaque black ink. I use this more than I do my sumi ink now, but that's just personal preference. This ink does stick to the nib though, so you have to scrub it off when you're done (see "Accessories" category below for my suggestion!).

Pearl Ex Super Bronze (pictured above, mixed with Copperplate Gold)

  • A powdered metallic pigment. I love Pearl Ex because it's easy to mix into any existing ink, or easy to mix with water and gum arabic to make an ink. I will mix this into Copperplate Gold sometimes to get a custom gold that's a little bronzey.

Pearl Ex Super Copper

  • Same as above, but this is a very reddish-toned copper. I mix this with a combo of Copperplate Gold and Super Bronze to make a slightly less reddish copper!

Kuretake Sumi Ink

  • The only sumi ink I've ever used because it apparently doesn't have as much of an odor as other sumi inks. I like it, so I can't complain! It's waterproof and has a slight sheen when it dries.

Golden High-Flow Acrylics

  • These are acrylic paints that are more fluid but just as pigmented as regular acrylic paint. I've used a few neon colors before and the neon quality is excellent. I've also filled my Molotow empty paint pen with the white color and it works great.

Gum Arabic

  • It comes in either a liquid or powder form (I've linked the liquid here for you). I use the powder, but the liquid may be more convenient to use. Either way, it thickens inks and paints. Very useful to have, especially when trying to mix up Pearl Ex into an ink.

PAPER

Canson Pro Layout Marker Paper Pad

  • A very very buttery smooth and semi-translucent paper perfect for doing spot calligraphy, or practicing calligraphy. I love this paper.

Borden & Riley Layout Bond Paper Pad

  • Also great for doing spot calligraphy or practicing calligraphy, but not quite as smooth as the Canson Marker paper. Great for pencil sketches also.

Arches Cold-Pressed 140 lb Watercolor Paper

  • It's expensive for a reason - it's a very quality sheet of watercolor paper made of 100% cotton. It's pretty textured and takes the watercolors very well.

Canson XL Watercolor Paper

  • A very good everyday watercolor paper. I use this for practice or just random paintings, and I try to use the Arches for the "final" piece, but if you're on a budget, this works great as your "final" piece paper too!
Dinky Dips pictured. Photo and lettering by Grace Niu Design

Dinky Dips pictured. Photo and lettering by Grace Niu Design

ACCESSORIES

Mascara Spoolies

  • Perfect for cleaning your nibs, especially when the ink tends to stick to the nib. Especially useful for cleaning smaller nibs like the EF66.

Dinky Dips (pictured above)

  • These work great for holding small amounts of ink and also keeps your ink jars from tipping over. The container looks very small but it's just the right amount typically, because then the ink won't dry out and you can always refill it every once in a while.

Eyedropper

  • Really useful for transferring ink into dinky dip jars, transferring ink or water during the ink mixing process, adding small amounts of water to other mixtures, etc.

Ink jars

  • Great for storing larger amounts of ink, for example, when you need to mix a lot for a large envelope project. Then I take my eyedropper and transfer some into a dinky dip container so that the remainder of the ink doesn't dry out or spill over.

Pencils

  • For sketching, obvs.

Kneaded Eraser

  • I don't use any other eraser because 1, these are fun to knead in your hands if you're fidgety, and 2, these can lightly erase pencil marks if you want to still see them, or you can press harder to fully erase pencil marks.

Sand Eraser

  • I just got these recently and haven't had too much of a chance to use them, but they can erase ink from handmade paper if you accidentally splattered a bit, etc. I think you can also use it on regular paper.. I could be wrong..

White Charcoal Pencil

  • Perfect for sketching lightly onto dark surfaces. I also use these for sketching onto chalkboards, wood signs, and black canvas. This can also be a substitute for chalk when you need to do more detail work or write smaller, but they may not be quite as erasable as regular chalk, so beware.

Chalk

  • For doing chalkboard signage.

Laser level

  • Perfect for making sure your lines are straight on dark envelopes or paper, or even lighter colored envelopes and paper when you don't want to deal with sketching guidelines and erasing them. People also use something called a slider writer which is basically a fancy clipboard-laser level combo, but apparently those are not being made right now, and they're also more expensive. So a regular laser level will do the trick!

 

Can't wait to hear what items you love - whether you're about to order them, or whether you've used them before! Have any questions about other supplies I use? Ask below!


Disclaimer: This post may contain some affiliate links. Everything linked here is something I would use and hope you'll love too!

In Calligraphy Tags calligraphy supplies, lettering supplies, favorite supplies, calligraphy, Chicago calligrapher, supply list, inks, paints, pens, paper, nibs, brush pens, brushes, tools, calligrapher tools
← How to Style Invitation SuitesChicago Coffee Shop-inspired Styled Shoot →

Hi there! I'm Grace. This is my space to write about design, calligraphy, weddings, DIYs, home decor and more. Learn more about me here!

FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM

sweet and simple rose gold table numbers from @kristiemasing’s wedding last year, and you can see a peek of the coordinating menus too! this tablescape was also so beautiful, and i’m honored to have been a part of it! i’m so grateful for wonderful clients who are a joy to work with 😊 // photo by @victoriabonvicini
one of my goals this year is to only say yes to things that will bring joy - so that i can make more time for the relationships and things that matter to me. life is too short to spend time doing things you don’t want to do if you don’t have to do them, you know what i mean? ✨ what about you? do you relate to this?
a few old favorite menu designs. clearly there’s a formula that works here: minimal color with a combination of hand lettering and clean type 👌🏼 and i had forgotten about that vellum menu 😍 which is your fave?
more invitations to destination weddings, please! i feel like the prospect of a destination wedding is such an exciting thing for you and your guests to look forward to, so why not really accentuate that by making the invitation an experience in itself? 🌿😊

FEATURED POSTS

Featured
How to Style Invitation Suites
Sep 12, 2017
How to Style Invitation Suites
Sep 12, 2017

I'm so excited to share with you something I've been working really hard on! I'm proud to introduce the "How to Style Invitation Suites" guide!

Read More →
Sep 12, 2017
Chicago Coffee Shop-inspired Styled Shoot
Jul 19, 2017
Chicago Coffee Shop-inspired Styled Shoot
Jul 19, 2017

Doesn't it sound like such a dream to elope in a cozy coffee shop with the love of your life? I thought so too, which is how this idea was dreamed up in the first place. More photos by Melody Joy of the all the amazing details below!

Read More →
Jul 19, 2017
Jun 20, 2017
Envelope Calligraphy & Addressing Tips
Jun 20, 2017

Today we're talking all about what to keep in mind when you hire a calligrapher to address your envelopes, how to choose envelopes, and why it costs what it does!

Read More →
Jun 20, 2017

CATEGORIES

  • Calligraphy
  • DIY
  • Events
  • Home
  • Miscellaneous
  • Weddings

Chicago suburbs wedding stationery & Chicago calligrapher
© Grace Niu Design 2017, all rights reserved
By using this website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.