In regards to the “Old English”, it was believed the Old English language was written in blackletter style. This particular alphabet was used by bishops and missionaries in bible translation many centuries earlier. This style of architecture is not meant to be confused with the actual Gothic tribes from or the Gothic alphabet. Interestingly enough, the rigid vertical structure was written to mimic the architecture of gothic cathedrals (hence the name “gothic”).

It evolved as it spread throughout Europe until the early 1900s. The style itself originated in Northern Europe during the 11th century. All of this terminology is interchangeable and over centuries, has become common slang to describe the style. You’ve probably heard the terms “Old English” or “gothic” in reference to blackletter.

Blackletter 101: A Primerįirst off, let’s get our vocabulary straight. And that’s what you’re reading right now. As a result, I decided to compile all of those posts into this single big one. Upon revisiting those posts, I realized the content was lacking in regards to what I’m now able to offer instructionally. I’ve also published a series of workbooks dedicated to learning each style of the four styles of blackletter.

Since then, I’ve written many posts on blackletter technique. Years back, I posted a series of posts that dove into learning Blackletter (specifically in Textura and Fraktur styles). But believe it or not, it’s incredibly popular and its rich history predates scripts like Copperplate or Spencerian by centuries. You might not think of this classic script style when you think of calligraphy or hand-lettering. No matter what style I would pursue, I would always find myself coming back to the “gothic” school of letterforms. It was actually blackletter script that got me into hand-lettering years back. Learning Blackletter Alphabets (Free Downloadable Guides)

Old english font for the letter n