Tip of a quill is cut in a form of two-sided blade. On either side of cuts, split (called "slit") is made in order that quill absorbs ink through hollow inside and spreads ink out between cuts of slit. The sharpend tip of a quill with slit is called a nib, the design of which contiued as the development of modern fountain pens and catridge pens.

Even as a quill pen breaks and wears out it can be resharpened hundreds times by cutting corners of quill away on the either side of slit.

How quill pen is held at an angle, in repect to the bottom of desk, produces distinctive upstroke and downstroke of letters and creates various fonts.
In modern era, quill pen has been replaced by steel nibbed pen for greater durability.


Western calligraphy used parchment and vellum made from animal skins, for parchment and vellum have good durability.

Strictly speaking, vellum is a finer quality of parchment prepared from calf-skins, but the terms have been interchangeably used since the Medieval Era.

Early scribes used papyrus and around 4th century parchment codex replaced papyrus scroll. Around 5-17th century, recycled parchments were used by shaving old manuscripts on them. The recycled parchment, palimpsests, was replaced around 13th century by what was close to modern paper.


Western calligraphers have used various sources of ink from ancient pigment binding ink and dye-ink to modern chemical precipitation. A gouache is opaque water-coloring paint similar to Asian or Indian ink. Most of fountain pens use dye-ink and most of modern calligraphic artist are working with chemical precipitation such as ferro-gallic or iron gall inks.

Ferro-gallic ink is a very durable type of ink that consists of gallic acid, iron sulfate and a binder usually such as gum Arabic. Its name was originated from oak galls used as a source of tannin.

Referred from:
-Dianne Tillotson : http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/writing.htm
-Online directory of History.uk.com : http://www.history.uk.com/calligraphy
-Jackson, D. 1981 The Story of Writing London: Studio Vista
-18th Century Copperplate by Sherwood Carter http://www.6nc.org/about6nc/copperplate.html