Envelope Calligraphy with Vera Silva

If you really want to make an impression with your handmade cards or written letters, why not decorate the envelope too?

I have always enjoyed decorating envelopes. Growing up, I even used to make my own envelopes from magazine pages. Nowadays, when I need to send a card or invitation, I will just add a bit of watercolour here, some fancy lettering there and voila - I will end up with a beautiful envelope that will surely make a big first impression.

Using different fonts for a single design is quite effective, not just for envelopes but also for quotes, cards, or a nice hand-lettered design to hang up on your wall. When I plan a hand-lettered design, I think of several fonts that I like that would go well with the style of the piece, and decide if they would go well together.

Mixing an elegant script with simple print letters is most often my method of choice. Putting these opposite styles together can result in some beautiful designs. If there is a lot of text to write, limiting the number of different fonts to two or three can be a good option, so that the final piece doesn’t look too ‘heavy’ or busy. Print letters are super versatile since you can use just uppercases, which is something you can’t do with a script style.

Remember that when addressing envelopes it’s important to make sure that the fonts you choose are legible, so the postman can safely deliver them. You can add more interest to your design in the way of a border around the edge, or even with a ‘Deliver to’ banner.