Editing Calligraphy (section)

====Style====
Unlike a typeface, handwritten calligraphy is characterised by irregularity in the characters which vary in size, shape, style, and color, producing a distinct aesthetic value, although it may also make the content more difficult to decode for some readers. As with [[Chinese calligraphy|Chinese]] or [[Islamic calligraphy]], Western calligraphic script employed the use of strict rules and shapes. Quality writing had a rhythm and regularity to the letters, with a "geometrical" order of the lines on the page. Each character had, and often still has, a precise [[stroke order]].

Sacred [[Western calligraphy]] has some unique features, such as the illumination of the first letter of each book or chapter in medieval times. A decorative "carpet page" may precede the literature, filled with ornate, geometrical depictions of bold-hued animals. The [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] (715–720 CE) are an early example.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=M.P. |title=Painted Labyrinth: The World of the Lindisfarne Gospel |publisher=British Library |year=2004 |edition=Revised}}</ref> Many of the themes and variations of today's contemporary Western calligraphy are found in the pages of [[The Saint John's Bible]]. A particularly modern example is [[Timothy Botts]]' illustrated edition of the Bible, with 360 calligraphic images as well as a calligraphy [[typeface]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Bible: New Living Translation |publisher=Tyndale House Publishers |year=2000}}</ref>