The Timeless Charm of Handwritten Letters in the Digital Age

Until a few years ago, when someone wanted to send a letter, they would write the text by hand, put it in an envelope, stamp it, write down the recipient's address, find a mailbox or post office and send it. This was the traditional procedure for correspondence until the fairly recent arrival of e-mail.

Many of us have experienced receiving letters from family or friends, Christmas cards, holiday cards, etc. But with the advent of the digital age and electronic messaging, all this seems a thing of the past. Perhaps you are one of the many who receive only paper letters from the bank, and they are not even handwritten letter service.

The speed and economy of these tools, which allow any message to be sent to any corner of the world to be received almost instantly, have become popular everywhere and among all ages and social groups. Whether it is a brief message, a meeting announcement, an internal announcement, a meeting of the community of neighbours or an anniversary greeting – among many possible examples –

Telematics has undoubtedly provided us with very practical and useful tools for everyday and professional life, such as electronic mail and messaging or word processors. But perhaps we have lost something along the way that is worth preserving…

The person who receives a letter by conventional mail receives much more than its content: the surprise and, in many cases, the excitement of finding an envelope in the mailbox, opening it with a letter opener, reading and rereading its contents, classifying it and saving it. These are experiences and emotions that we thought we had forgotten.

Writing a letter by hand is very different from typing, because it involves thinking and rethinking what you are going to write, because it is done more slowly and because it is a multi-sensory experience, involving sight, the sinuous movements of the hand, the calligraphic stroke and the touch of the paper. In addition, each handwriting is unique and, for some people, it is an expression of the author's personality.

For the recipient, receiving a handwritten letter in its corresponding envelope is always a bit of a surprise, which is not revealed until the envelope is opened and the contents of the letter are read, always carefully. Furthermore, depending on the envelope on which the letter arrives, the type of paper on which the text has been written and its content, we can speculate about the person who wrote it, their mood or their aesthetic taste. Writing four lines by email and pressing the “send” button is definitely not the same as the ritual of writing manually and sending a letter in the traditional way.

The taste for calligraphy and handwriting is still a minority in our society, but it is gradually spreading as a sign of distinction and, in addition, it has made paper crafts, graphic art and a variety of writing instruments flourish. Among the elements that make up a handwritten letter, we can highlight:

• Writing paper: Its qualities (colour, weight, texture, format, etc.) can convey very different emotions and meanings: from an elegant, thick, high-quality ivory paper to a delicate, scented lavender colour, light paper for airmail correspondence, the texture of handmade paper, sheets with the company's letterhead... Any of these varieties of paper is a valid and attractive option depending on the circumstance.

• Envelope: Also available in a wide variety of styles, it usually matches the paper inside. The envelope has a "representative" function of the sender, since its type and size, the corporate logo, the quality of the paper, etc. provide a large amount of information to the recipient.

• Writing instrument: The fountain pen and the ballpoint pen are the most commonly used, although it is also possible to write with a pencil or marker. In some types of writing, such as oriental calligraphy, the use of other media, such as ink and brushes, is common.

The world of handwriting services, paper and writing instruments is as varied as it is suggestive. The products available on the market allow us to choose the combination that suits us best and define a unique style. From the fan of thick, high-quality writing paper and a fountain pen, to those who always write with a sober pen on any type of paper, to those who love large notebooks with wide margins or those who enjoy buying fancy stationery sets with artistic motifs… Any choice is valid and can be satisfied with products that are common on the market.

But writing by hand, besides being a hobby with an artistic component, also has other advantages. According to a study conducted by researchers from Norway and France, writing by hand stimulates more complex neural capacities and exercises the brain to a greater extent than writing on a keyboard. It is as if the very act of tracing characters contributed to graphically expressing our thoughts on a sheet of paper.

It is not surprising that many modern writers continue to use pen and paper to create their works, as the hand seems to be more suited to the rhythm of creative thoughts than the use of a keyboard. Other people, even those who make intensive use of modern media, have recovered the old pleasure of writing, because they know that the results are more personal and better express the individual way of being. It is not surprising, then, that in the digital age, writing tools continue to be successful.

#handwriting letter service

#handwritten services