Lined Handwriting Font
Homeschooling moms who visit my handwriting printables often ask me if I know of a cursive font or a program that can be used to make handwriting practice sheets. The question varies, but this is what I usually tell the moms who write.
Cursive Font
A cursive font named schoolscriptdashed has lines built into it and the letters connect well. It is pictured above in the small image. As of this writing, this font is available free from this web page: http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=602&page=2 If this link ever breaks, someone please leave a comment here to inform me. I will speak more on using lined fonts in a moment.
Software
The next alternative is a software program called Startwrite. [http://www.startwrite.com/]
Using the Font
Now about that schoolscriptdashed font - you will notice that the font site I linked above has several lined fonts, but I am only going to briefly speak about schoolscriptdashed.
Before you can use the font, you will need to download, extract, and install it. If you do not know how to install fonts, open a search engine and type, “install fonts” to search for instructions. Once the font is installed, open your word processor.
Choose the font from the list of fonts and start typing. You will notice that spaces do not have lines. To make lined spaces or to make blank lined paper, type using the “\” key.
This is where I might lose you. Next, you will need to Format the font. In your word processor program, go to the Format menu. It should have Font in the list, select it.
The image shown is from Microsoft Word 2002. I have circled in red the parts you might need to adjust. Format your font’s Size and Color. If you have other types of effects, play with them to see if any are useful to you. I have outline selected in the image and that makes the font hollow. Once you find the right settings for your practice sheets, take note of them so this will be quicker next time. 
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Some have asked me how I make the handwriting sheets that are at donnayoung.org. How I made them is a different process than what is explained above.
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Awww. that is so sweet. And you have all those..."
Do you know the name of the font you used for George Washington’s Rules of Civility and the verses from Proverbs? I can’t seem to find that font, and it looks just like the handwriting curriculum we use. We’ve gone through 2 rounds of your wonderful pages (thank you!!). Their curriculum has progressed to cursive, however, my children have REGRESSED in their pre-cursive writing. Thanks so very much! I love your site!!
Hello Rose. I am pretty sure that I used this font:
BJUP Font
I don’t know if you realize that the letters U to Z on the big letters will not print properly. The one I’m talking about is the Large letters with arrows. I’ve tried it from different computors and different printers and the same problem keeps happening. Am I doing something wrong?
Heather
Heather I looked at those, the ones with letters U to Z, and the one thing they had in common which the other files didn’t, was being 2 pages long, though the second page was empty. I removed the second page on all of them and uploaded the revised pdf files. I do not know if that fixed them.
Do you have the lined font for print?
I am looking for trace print font for handwriting that includes the lines.
Thank you for your help,
Lisa
Thank you for your website. It has been a great help in improving my child cursive writing and the downloadable pages I have tried work great! Thanks again.
Hi the link for the cursive script has broken
can you let me know if you track down another one
Regards Joanne
Thanks Joanne, it’s on this page now:
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=602&page=2
Looks like it moves between pages 1-3. It used to be on page 2, then it went to page 1, now it is on page 2 again.
Lisa:
Did you look at the penmanship font that is on the site linked above? Currently on page 2 at:
http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=602&page=2
There is a manuscript lined font. (I’ve not tried it.)
I was cleaning out some old worksheets from years past and found cursive handwriting printouts from your site.
They have the donnayoung.org addy at the bottom, but I can no longer find them anywhere on your site. They use an outline/hollow font (not sure which font) and rather than trace, the child writes inside the outline, following the shape of the letter. I have several sheets, each sheet has two letters each for practicing.
For example: Cursive i and j (title), then a line of “i’s followed by two lines to practice “i”, same thing with “j”, then a name and date line at the bottom.
Does this sound familiar, and do you still have them…or know where I can find them?
Thanks for any assistance you can offer!
Deb
Hi Deb, I know the ones that you are referring to. They are on my computer and the site cd. They were on donnayoung.org until last year. I took down a few things including those printables because of lack of server resources. I have more resources now and I might put them back up someday although that would be months away.
Hi Donna,
I really like the GW Rules of Civility, however we use plain block style printing at our house. Is there any way to convert it to or can you tell me what you used to create it in the first place so that I may try to create it myself? Let me know.
Lois
Lois, I used Microsoft Word to make the GW Rules of Civility notebook. Instructions are included on the web page in the blue column. [http://donnayoung.org/penmanship/gw-notebook.htm] I will upload a text file containing the Rules of Civility.
You will need to get a font that is similar to what you want. There is a font called Print Clearly that might be considered block-style.
It can be downloaded from here:
http://www.dafont.com/search.php?psize=m&q=print+clearly
Hi Donna
Thank you for your website. Have spent some time here and love every page. It has been a great help in improving my childrens’ cursive writing and the downloadable pages I have tried work nicely! Thanks you again
I noticed a comment on the donnayoung.org site about left handers. I have a lefty and the problem with teaching lefties to write comes from the fact that their left hand covers what they have already written so they have trouble with connecting letters and spacing. Lefties also have trouble copying words/sentences/etc.. from the board or from other copy because of the same reason. I have found that my lefty uses manuscript much better than cursive and uses typing better than either of those. You have to be careful with lefties too with their vision. Sometimes their eye muscles in their left eye will get weak because their right eye does all of the work. That makes the copying all the more difficult. We make sure our leftie kids can write in both manuscript and cursive (as neatly as they can possibly do - which is not the same neatly as a rightie) - then we allow typing to save on the frustration.
Lefties…. Good morning! I’ve been a lefty for 39 years. Up until this past year, I always had a major left slant to my cursive writing. This past year, I began practicing the Getty-Dubay Italic font, to assist teaching my little girl. In doing so, I wound up moving my paper even further to the left, and up. (It also helped that I’m typically taking notes, with a book or mouse pad directly in front of me, rather than the paper.) I easily see what I am writing and what I have written. I now write with a right slant to my words, and my hand has still remained in the standard, not curved position. The only difference, instead of having the pen rest (ly down) on my point finger, it is more upright, resting on the thumb.
….. I hope this bit of information helps in thinking outside the box.
Dear Donna,
Thank you for your resourceful website. I just noticed your new cd/site and will consider ordering that.
I have a huge question/favor. I am facilitating apologia chemistry and found the schedules posted. Donna May’s works perfectly with our coop schedule. However, there are some changes I would like to make to help the kids, but since it’s pdf it can’t be altered.
Is it available as an editable pdf or other form as excel, or do you not allow editing? I thought I saw another schedule that was editable (that word makes me think food!haha).
I’ll be at the THSC convention at The Woodlands…wondering if anyone from your company will be there to answer questions?
Many thanks,
Melanie
[Melanie, I will email you. --DY]