A narrow nib may be used for special (built-up) Initials and Capitals, which are drawn rather than written (a, fig. [165]). The horizontal arms (made by the pen held horizontally) are markedly affected, and if a very fine nib were used, the necessity of strengthening and thickening them would tend further to reduce the pen character.
A broad nib gives strong, uniform pen-letters (b).
For ordinary use letters are perhaps best made with a “medium” nib (c). The width of the ordinary writing-pen, or rather narrower, gives a good proportion for initials, &c. (see pp. [118], [218]).
In MS. books the early built-up Capitals were [p294] commonly of a rather severe type—approaching the Roman Capital, but having the sharp contrast between the thicks and the thins characteristic of pen-letters (fig. [166]). They make very simple and effective “Versals.”
[Fig. 166.]—Pen-capitals from a tenth-century MS. (writing-lines dotted in fig. to show spacing method).