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Flipchart
Before I tell you more, quickly take a piece of paper and a pen of your choice and write a sentence. It doesn't matter what the content is. What we want is a "before" writing sample. With this, you can see where you are now and check how your writing will change if you implement the upcoming tips. If you are still looking for a text: You can use the first line of your favorite song or (if you're lacking inspiration) one of these sample sentences:
Done? Very good. Then sit back for a moment, get a few ideas from me and then try again right away. I guarantee you: You will be amazed at how quickly you make progress.
Before we get to the letters themselves, here are a few general hints that will make your job easier and ensure a nicer typeface in record time:
For writing on the flipchart, practically all books and 99% of trainers recommend pens with wedge tips. Why? It is still a mystery to me. Because wedge tips make writing (especially for beginners) very tedious and you waste time and nerves unnecessarily. So it's neither fun nor a good picture. Why torture yourself? In the future, use a bullet tip instead of a wedge tip and you'll see how much easier it will be to draw even lines.
My personal favorite for the flipchart is the neuland No. One Outliner with bullet tip for writing and the neuland FineOne with bullet tip for details and drawing. Unfortunately I don't get any percentages for the recommendation, but if anyone from Neuland is reading along: feel free to get in touch :)
And while we're at it, sort out your colored pens. Or at least put them out of reach when you're writing. Always use a black pen when writing. Yes, ALWAYS. This will save you time (you don't have to think about which pen to use) and your texts will have the maximum contrast to the paper, which means they will be especially legible.
I hardly know anyone who can draw perfectly straight lines on a white sheet. But you don't have to. Just use a line mirror like you used to in school (at least in my day). Some flipchart pads already come with a checkered or lined pattern. This is super helpful, but doesn't look very nice in the photo log afterwards. Therefore, turn the sheet over before you start writing. This way, if you are standing close to the paper while writing, you can still see the guides. At the same time, when you photograph the flipchart, you'll end up with an even white background without any distracting lines or paper manufacturer logos.
Is your flipchart paper not lined or squared? No problem. You can make your own line mirror in no time at all: Take a blank sheet of paper and fold the bottom edge upwards. Now you can use the edge of the paper to draw a straight line.
Slide the sheet down one line at a time to finalize the line mirror. You can now place the finished line mirror under the sheet you want to write on. E voila. Straight lines are suddenly very easy.
Many tend to write small and in the upper left corner. This is space-saving, but usually doesn't look so nice on the finished flipchart. Therefore, before you start writing, think about how much text you want to put on the page and position your words accordingly.
You can create additional structure with a heading. It is always best to make the headline slightly larger than the body text or the list below it.
Fonts look especially nice when they are not only placed sensibly, but also highlighted by banners and boxes. Since this is difficult to do from scratch, it is best to use pre-made grids. In my next e-mail newsletter you will get a link where you can download them for free. If you are not yet registered: this way.
So, now it's down to the nitty-gritty. Take a closer look at your text from earlier. What do you notice? Which parts are easier to read and which are more difficult? What seems neat and where do the letters make a not so neat impression? In the seminars I hold, I observe the following very often:
Cursive writing can be a very nice element for flipchart design. However, texts are often easier to read when written in block letters.
The larger the letters, the easier they are to read. This does not necessarily mean that the line height has to increase. If your lowercase letters are only half the size of your uppercase letters, try writing your text again, giving the lowercase letters more room. They can be 2/3 or 3/4 as large as the capital letters.
Many tend to drop off unnecessarily often. Try to follow through with lines where possible. That is, to write without dropping. Letters where this can be observed particularly well are the capital letters A, E, F, M, N, V and W.
For lowercase letters, there are some where a circle meets a line: d, b, p, q. Try to put the letters together not from an I and an O but from an I and a C. This way you avoid the overlap and the letters immediately look tidier. This way you avoid the overlap and the letters immediately look tidier.
Another group of letters where there is often room for improvement are the lowercase letters h, m, n, r, and u. Here, parts of the letters are often drawn twice. If you deliberately set them off instead, you can ensure a much clearer typeface.
Now it's time to pick up the pen. Write the text you wrote at the beginning a second time and follow the tips I mentioned. It looks completely different, doesn't it?
Feel free to tell me about your font experiments and get in touch if you have any questions or requests for further input on the topic of font.
In this course, you will learn the basics of working with a flipchart. We explore materials, writing, structure, images and how you can achieve great results with little effort.
