Are you new to calligraphy and curious how you can monetize your new skill? I was also in the same boat and actually took the plunge into starting a business shortly after I felt like I had a good handle of it. Here are 4 ways I have and continue to make money from this calligraphy!
WEDDINGS
This is likely an obvious one but this is one that many calligraphers begin with and continue to have as a major income stream for their business! A few ideas on what specifically are below:
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Envelope Addressing
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Escort Cards
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Place Cards
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Seating Chart
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Bar Menu
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Spot Calligraphy
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Table Numbers
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Welcome Sign
There are always new and innovative ways you can integrate calligraphy but the items provided above are most common and often sought out from clients. These are not always on paper, sometimes they are on mirrors, oysters, leaves and so much more! Always test out your surface if it’s new to you!
WORKSHOPS
If you have the basics down and feel confident in your work, you are ready to teach! I personally do not think you need to have a laundry list of clients to get started in workshops. You are TEACHING someone. If you want to teach flourishes but you don’t know the basics, then hold off on that and start with an beginner-friendly course. I actually started teaching workshops before I even booked a client. They are different areas and you may not even want to work in the wedding industry. One thing to note is really think and sit down what YOU want to do. It is really easy and common to fall into a path of what other calligraphers are doing and what you think you should be doing.
ON-SITE CALLIGRAPHY
Funny enough - I have an event background and I would be the one researching potential artists for x event we’d have with a brand. But I NEVER thought of a calligrapher for a brand activation - duh! When I learned of on-site calligraphy, I KNEW it was an area I had to tap into it. How do you know you are ready? Well, do you feel comfortable having people watch you? Are you comfortable with your skill that you can handle a lot of people at once? This is also something you can always work up to - just know this is an option! The first thing you can do is BUILD YOUR PORTFOLIO! What does that mean? Well, look into hashtags of #eventcalligraphy and see what other others are practicing on. Is it paper? A perfume bottle? Look at what clients are ASKING of their calligraphers to do for THEIR clients. If you are FULLY new to this, definitely check out Luxury lettering Course from @ViaCalligraphy and @SomedayArtCo. In MY opinion, they are the OGs in introducing me to the world of on-site calligraphy!
ON-SITE ENGRAVING
What is it? I have another post coming out soon what engraving is but this is the next step if you want add another revenue stream to your business. You will need an engraver that will be able to go cut into a variety of surfaces - most common are white bottles, perfume bottles, whiskey bottles and so much more! The InkMeThis one is pretty popular as far as engraver! It is expensive BUT if you do book a client you will recoup the cost very quickly! This is the same idea as calligraphy as far as luxury brands or high-end luxury department stores - Saks, Nordstrom, etc. If you want to build your portfolio, definitely check out #onsiteengraving and see what others are engraving and create your portfolio that way! As anything else, definitely practice and make sure you are being safe.
Already booked a client? Grab your On-Site Engraving Packing Guide Here
Here is a short tutorial on engraving on wine bottles & was featured on The Pigeon Letters blog!
There you go! These are 4 ways you can incorporate your calligraphy and continue to add various revenue streams to your business. You do NOT need to implement all of these at once. Do what works for you - what you are comfortable with and most importantly - ENJOY!
If you have any questions, please reach out!
xx
Johana