handwriting-penmanship-scripts

This note is part of my Zettelkasten.

What kinds of handwriting scripts are out there?

Ausgangschrift

in Germany, an ausgangsschrift is a cursive font taught in school
i.e. the orientation for what one should write like when leaving school (Schulausgang)
there are and have been different variants in use
useful summary of the different writing systems in use in Germany

SAS
developed in the GDR 1968 based on the LA with some improvements
meant to be taught as first handwriting in school, without learning print letters first
instead, print letters are learned afterwards for use in cases where cursive isn’t appropriate
it’s the only script allowed in some eastern states, allowed as choice in most others
the “most advanced” German classic cursive that’s not a print writing variant (such as the VA)
it seems that’s what got it into curricula in western states after reunification, as response to the criticism of the VA
document on the concepts between SAS
could be developed into Schulschrift-Kursiv, a calligraphic variant written with a stub nib

VA
developed in the 60s/70s
used as second font after print letters and is learned based on that
what I learned in school
has been criticized a bunch
- e.g. here
- it is modular, with each letter ending at the middle line
- the goal is an easy transition from print letters
- however, this can lead to poor connections of the modules and a non-rhythmic writing style that doesn’t flow smoothly
there is a “plus” variant taught in Bavaria now with some switched letters to address some of the criticisms
I learned some of the letter variants used there, but not all

concept: don’t teach a cursive at all
instead, let the children develop a print-cursive-hybrid from print letters by adding connections
I’m not convinced of this idea
maybe the solution to problems with VA isn’t to yeet cursive altogether, but rather to teach a proper cursive, maybe even start with one as with SAS
although, ironically, this is pretty much exactly what my day-to-day hand writing was before I started looking into cursives again

Palmer
- developed quite early: around 1888
- already very similar to modern cursive scripts
- goal was efficient (legible, quick) writing
- fitting: targeted at businesspeople
- sold as a Book “The Palmer Method of Business Writing”
- claimed to be able to compete with the typewriter in speed
Zaner-Bloser
- most popular cursive mid-20th century
- mostly replaced by D’Nealian
D’Nealian
- very prevalent cursive taught in schools
- also taught based on a print variant
- mostly similar to German school cursives, similar concept to VA
- developed in the 60s/70s, so around the same time as VA
- although it doesn’t seem to have the same weirdnesses
Getty-Dubay Italic
- semi-cursive
- similar to Grundschrift