On the Main Ribbon Bar, switch to the "Edit" category. Find the "Brush Tool" tool button on the "Edit Tools" panel. Click to select it. As shown below.
When the Brush Tool is used as the current editing tool, a series of related options will appear on the right control panel. As shown below.
Since pen width is changed often, you can adjust it without going to the toolbar, using the Left and Right arrow keys or with a tablet that supports the pressure sensitivity function. The best thing about these keys is that they work while you are drawing, so you can change the width of your pen gradually in the middle of the stroke:
Pen Width may also depend on the velocity, as controlled by the Thinning parameter. This parameter can take values from -100 to 100; zero means the width is independent of velocity, positive values make faster strokes thinner, negative values make faster strokes broader. The default of 10 means moderate thinning of fast strokes. Here are a few examples, all drawn with width=20 and angle=90:
Thinning = 0 (Uniform Width) | Thinning = 10 | Thinning = 40 |
Thinning = -20 | Thinning = -60 |
Each traditional calligraphy style has its own prevalent pen angle. For example, the Uncial hand uses the angle of 25 degrees. More complex hands and more experienced calligraphers will often vary the angle while drawing, and Business Card Designer Pro makes this possible by pressing and arrow keys or with a tablet that supports the tilt sensitivity feature. For beginning calligraphy lessons, however, keeping the angle constant will work best. Here are examples of strokes drawn at different angles (fixation = 100):
Angle = 0 | Angle = 30 | Angle = 60 |
Angle = 90 | Angle = 15 | Angle = -45 |
As you can see, the stroke is at its thinnest when it is drawn parallel to its angle, and at its broadest when drawn perpendicular. Positive angles are the most natural and traditional for right-handed calligraphy.
The level of contrast between the thinnest and the thickest is controlled by the fixation parameter. The value of 100 means that the angle is always constant, as set in the Angle field. Decreasing fixation lets the pen turn a little against the direction of the stroke. With fixation=0, pen rotates freely to be always perpendicular to the stroke, and Angle has no effect anymore:
Flxation = 0 Angle = 30 | Flxation = 80 Angle = 30 | Flxation = 100 Angle = 30 |
Typographically speaking, maximum fixation and therefore maximum stroke width contrast (above left) are the features of antique serif typefaces, such as Times or Bodoni (because these typefaces were historically an imitation of fixed-pen calligraphy). Zero fixation and zero width contrast (above right), on the other hand, suggest modern sans serif typefaces such as Helvetica.
Tremor = 0 | Tremor = 10 | Tremor = 20 | Tremor = 30 |
Tremor = 40 | Tremor = 50 | Tremor = 60 | Tremor = 70 |
Tremor = 80 | Tremor = 90 | Tremor = 100 |
In physics, Mass is what causes inertia; the higher the mass of the Business Card Designer Pro calligraphy tool, the more it lags behind your mouse pointer and the more it smoothes out sharp turns and quick jerks in your stroke. By default this value is quite small (2) so that the tool is fast and responsive, but you can increase mass to get slower and smoother pen.