The Pen Lessons Alphabets Gallery & Videos Store History of Writing
The Pen Lessons Alphabets Gallery & Videos Store History of Writing

Uncial the formal book hand of the 5th to the 8th centuries

Back to exercises

Search for calligraphy alphabet books on Amazon

UNCIAL was the formal book hand used from the 5th to the 8th centuries. There is no distinction between miniscule letters and capitals, the 1st letter of a line of text simply being written larger than the rest. It derives from Roman cursive hands and was used well into the 12th century for headings and important sections of text.

The images will open in a new window so you can save or print them for future reference

Uncial is rounded, rhythmic, and easy to read and is best used for long lines of text. The letters are well spaced, the spacing reflecting and balancing the space inside the letter forms.