Laura Taylor, age 11, of Downsview, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for her question:

WHAT IS CALLIGRAPHY?

Calligraphy is the art of fine handwriting. It isn't like ordinary handwriting because its quality is much higher.

In shaping letters, the calligrapher considers legibility, form, size, stroke, proportion, rhythm, spacing, character and uniformity.

Ancient Persians and Chinese regarded calligraphy as an art equal to, if not more important than, painting. Before movable type was invented in 1440, and for many years afterwards, books and manuscripts were copied by hand. The work of these copyists often has great calligraphic beauty.

Calligraphy has many applications in modern printing and publishing.