Writing A Double Lower Case S

[Lugworm]

This will be difficult to explain using a kindle but i will try.

I am trying to change from writing separate lower case letter "s"(An s identical to a typed lower case s) to writing an s that looks like a more cursive s that joins the letters before and after.

 

I can sort of do it if my word begins with s or if the s follows a letter with a low connection between the two letters. But if the join between the s and the previous letter is higher up the line it doesn't look right. Double s also doesn't look right. A word like "crossing" contains both problems.

Any tips or examples?

 

No I haven't been drinking.

[Torrilin]

Probably the most general term for what you’re asking about is ligature. It’s the stroke joining two characters in a handwritten style.

 

The “right” answer is going to depend on how you already write, the kind of style you want to have, and how much practice time you have to put in. There’s a lot of good solutions, and which ones you like for yourself will be hard for us to predict without knowing anything about your style.

 

The other thing to look at is kerning, that is the space between the letters. Changing the spacing can make awkward bits look nice or nice bits look awkward.

[Lugworm]

Good answer. I will do further research on the words ligature and kerning. I sort of understand what you mean by the spacings. I will experiment a bit to see if things will improve.

[bobje]

If you wanted to be really funky, you could write the character ß, as in German or chancery italic.

 

[amberleadavis]

I learned a lot when I tried to digitize my handwriting:

 

https://www.calligraphr.com/en/

 

The service is free, but you can sign up for more detailed options.

 

Kerning, Serif and Ligature where the terms I had to look up.

[Torrilin]

Serif I’d describe as the parts you can take away and still have a recognizable character. (I’m positive there’s other descriptions)

 

Most resources on good handwriting will be for calligraphy. And most calligraphy resources are aimed at styles like Copperplate, Spencerian, Round Hand and other styles in that vein. They can be really pretty, but they can also be hard to read. The handwriting and calligraphy forums here have resources on other hands too tho.

 

Calligraphy Alphabets for Beginners by Mary Noble and Janet Mehigan is a good book to check out if the other styles appeal to you. Free of lefty hate, and has good solid instructional methods. I learned from a different book, Inga Dubay and Barbara Getty’s Italic Handwriting, but that book is somewhat hard to buy these days. Just as solid, so if the local library has it, get it.

 

And don’t feel stupid for not knowing the technical terms. Most schools teach handwriting, but it’s taught pretty badly. You probably got a booklet at most, and it only covered the bare minimum.

[inkstainedruth]

 

If you wanted to be really funky, you could write the character ß, as in German or chancery italic.

 

 

That's what I thought he meant from the thread title.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[escribo]

..or get really funky archaic retro and incorporate the LONG S.

Just do be aware though that two long esses are not used together. ss would be long s + short s.

[Larry Barrieau]

" Free of lefty hate," No politics on this thread please.

[ASCIIaardvark]

Ah! escribo beat me to the long-s!

Here's an example you might recognize if you're in the US: http://asktheleagueofnerds.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/billofrightsbanner.png?w=300 -- but realistically, that's not used anymore.

 

Here's how I do it:

 

My writing incorporates a lot from print to make it easier to read for folks who haven't used cursive since middle-school.

[Brandywine]

 

If you wanted to be really funky, you could write the character ß, as in German or chancery italic.

 

 

Oh Nooooooo!

 

My German soul is screaming at the thought!

The German ß is a character of its own with its own rules of orthograpy.

It is NOT another way to write a double s!

It can be replaced by a double s when the letter ß is not available,

just as ä, ö and ü can be replaced by ae, oe and ue.

But that is only a workaround in case of need, not regular use!

 

Originally the correct replacement was not ss but sz!

In historic telegrams from the 1940ies or even the 1950ies you can still see the sz in use,

but nowadays that looks funny.

The print character was formed from a ligature of the Kurrent letters "long s" and "z"

and the official name of the letter used in spelling still is "SZ" (spoken quickly as one word, not "S, Z")

 

For further info. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9F

I love Wikipedia!

Edited March 9, 2018 by Brandywine

[Lugworm]

 

Oh Nooooooo!

 

My German soul is screaming at the thought!

The German ß is a character of its own with its own rules of orthograpy.

It is NOT another way to write a double s!

It can be replaced by a double s when the letter ß is not available,

just as ä, ö and ü can be replaced by ae, oe and ue.

But that is only a workaround in case of need, not regular use!

 

Originally the correct replacement was not ss but sz!

In historic telegrams from the 1940ies or even the 1950ies you can still see the sz in use,

but nowadays that looks funny.

The print character was formed from a ligature of the Kurrent letters "long s" and "z"

and the official name of the letter used in spelling still is "SZ" (spoken quickly as one word, not "S, Z")

 

For further info. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9F

I love Wikipedia!

And I thought Welsh was difficult...

Edited March 9, 2018 by Lugworm

[Carrau]

And I thought Welsh was difficult...

“Never knew before what eternity was made for. It is to give some of us a chance to learn German”—Mark Twain

[Brandywine]

And I thought Welsh was difficult...

 

By the look of Welsh spelling I'd say it is ....

[escribo]

And I thought Welsh was difficult...

Mark Twain on the German language.

(Remember, Mark Twain was a humorist)

 

EDIT: Oops--Mister Hunter (Herrjaeger) beat me to it! Sort of

[Carrau]

Mark Twain on the German language.

(Remember, Mark Twain was a humorist)

 

LOL-I remember reading Twain on German when I studied German as a student, and he was spot on. Still , he must have make considerable effort to learn the language, given his degree of frustration with many of its rules and exceptions. Still, the longest German compound word has nothing on Welsh: try pronouncing this-Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

 

To probe it can be pronounced, see the clip of a weather forecast below.

https://youtu.be/fHxO0UdpoxM

[escribo]

And then, after becoming much fatigued saying such things (to say nothing of spelling them!), and greatly in need of a rest, they undertook inventing Welsh surnames.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

It would be somewhat presumptuous of me to give my handwriting as a model, but the question got me thinking, as I've never found this particularly problematic. Maybe it has to do with the style of s that we're talking about. With the kind that I learned in grade school it seems fairly simple.

 

[Lugworm]

It would be somewhat presumptuous of me to give my handwriting as a model, but the question got me thinking, as I've never found this particularly problematic. Maybe it has to do with the style of s that we're talking about. With the kind that I learned in grade school it seems fairly simple.

 

esses_resized.jpg

Those double S's look fine. They both follow the letter i though. What about following a letter "o"?

[Lugworm]

[attachmy effort. Not happy with letter s

ment=429340:IMG_20180309_205655.jpg]