Have you ever envied a friend's handwriting or been told yours is hard to read? We live in an age of computers and smartphones, meaning we sometimes have no need for good old fashioned pen and paper. Yet, the beauty of a handwritten letter, postcard or greeting card is something we all enjoy giving and receiving.

At Ryman, we love to write with pen and paper, so we’re going to tell you how to improve your handwriting! You’ll be making your friends jealous with your beautiful handwriting in no time.

Having neat handwriting is important so others can read it easily. The last thing you want is to spend ages hand writing an important letter or document only to be told that it can’t be read. In adulthood, messy handwriting can be perceived as unprofessional and impact your work. To avoid an embarrassing situation in which your handwriting can’t be read, follow these brilliant tips.

It’s hard to break habits so changing your handwriting as an adult can prove difficult. But you can improve your handwriting, all it takes is a little hard work and patience.

Deciding on a pen is the most important choice you can make. Pens definitely affect your handwriting in various ways. Experiment with different types of pen such as ballpoint, fountain and gel to see which works best for you. It’s so important to choose a pen that feels right for you and your writing style. Everyone holds their pen in a different way, so make sure the grip is comfortable too.

Trying to freehand on blank paper isn’t going to help improve your handwriting. Stick to lined paper notebooks. Lined paper will help keep your handwriting straight and allow you to keep your letters the same height consistently. When you’re writing on lined paper, review your handwriting now and then. Note what you like and what you want to improve on and keep on practising!

Practise makes perfect and keeping a daily journal will help you improve your handwriting. It’s also a great mindfulness practice too. Grab a lined journal and write about your day to unload and get your handwriting up to scratch. You could even treat yourself to a lovely personalised one like the Ryman Personalised Soft Cover Notebook to get yourself excited to write in it. Having pretty stationery will encourage you to to practise and that’s what will improve your handwriting!

Take your time, no one is standing over you holding a stopwatch. Often our minds race ahead and expect our hand to keep up – the result? Sloppy, illegible handwriting that could easily be bested by a 7-year-old. Encourage yourself to go slow, thinking about each word formation as you go. Listen to a calming playlist on the KitSound BoomCube to help you keep a steady pace. The more you practise at a slower pace, the easier it will become to write neatly. Then you can begin to steadily speed up the process and still have enviously elegant handwriting.

Posture impacts so many areas of your life, including your handwriting. Sit with a straight back and your feet flat to the floor. Keep your arms and hands relaxed, you don’t want to be tense. Resting your forearm on the table while you’re writing will allow the arm to move the fingers rather than the wrist. This will help your handwriting massively!

Developing neat handwriting is easiest when you’re young. If you can see your child is struggling with messy handwriting, we have some great tips to help! You can find the full list of tips here. Many of the tips for adults can work for children too, with a little tweaking.

Investing in a pen specifically designed to help children improve their handwriting is a great place to start. Children have smaller hands than adults and often struggle to hold a standard ballpoint pen or fountain pen. Handwriting pens like the STABILO EASY Start Pen are perfect to help your child build confidence in their writing skills. Ergonomically designed by scientists, this pen is comfortable to hold and has options for both right and left handed writers. It’ll help your child on their way to beautiful handwriting.

Encouraging your child to practise their handwriting is the best way to help it improve. You can use exercise books such as the Children’s Level 3 Handwriting Book which has exercises and instructions to help your child. The exercises are easy to follow, and paired with a good quality handwriting pen, neat handwriting will come in time.

There’s nothing motivating about a plain pen and notebook. Why not encourage your child with some fun stationery? We have great pens and notebooks available in our Magic and Sparkle range and our Gamer collection. Writing with a colourful pen and notebook will make your child much more excited to practise their handwriting.

The Berol Handwriting Pens Black Pack of 5 handwriting pens are most popular with children who need to improve their handwriting at school. But that’s not to say adults can’t use them too! The Berol Handwriting Pen has a beautifully smooth ink flow, allowing for easy writing. Plus, the washable ink can be washed out of most fabrics and non-porous surfaces! We know little ones can sometimes get creative with what they write on.

If you’re feeling confident, and a little fancy, why not try the Lamy Safari Fountain Pen? This high quality fountain pen has an elegant, modern design and is built to last. It’s perfect for writing at school, home and in the office. Children are perfectly able to write with this pen once they have progressed past the need for starter handwriting pens. Fountain pens are excellent for improving handwriting as they require you to write slowly and carefully.

You can’t go wrong with a ballpoint pen, and the Parker Original Jotter Ballpoint Pen is a reliable choice for anyone looking to improve their handwriting. The Parker Original Jotter is a comfortable pen to write with which is key to having neat handwriting. Plus, it has a smooth ink flow. You won’t have to worry about the nib getting caught on the paper and making your writing messy.

Follow these great tips and you'll have beautiful handwriting in no time. You can find all of your stationery needs, including handwriting pens, on our website. For stationery inspiration, follow us on Instagram!