The research question
Does a joined stroke always make lowercase writing faster?
This episode tests a narrower question than “which handwriting style is best?” We hold the writing-speed setting and sample text constant, then compare how the joined Getty Dubay model and the less-continuous Playwrite model move through the same lowercase sentence. Here, “joined” and “less-continuous” describe the stroke paths in this experiment—not a universal classification of every font or writer.
The goal is to separate paper-trail motion from air travel between strokes. A pen lift is not automatically inefficient: its cost depends on how quickly the lift is modeled and how much extra path a forced connection would add.
Measured results
One run, seven movement metrics
| Metric | Getty Dubay Joined Beginning | Playwrite CA | Lower value / higher value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completion timeLower is faster for this run | 39.11 s | 41.33 s | Getty Dubay Joined Beginning |
| Characters per minute35 lowercase letters; spaces excluded | 53.70 | 50.81 | Getty Dubay Joined Beginning |
| Words per minuteNine-word test sentence | 13.8 | 13.1 | Getty Dubay Joined Beginning |
| Paper-trail lengthPen-down path length | 2,050 px | 2,388 px | Getty Dubay Joined Beginning |
| Air-travel lengthPen-up travel between strokes | 734 px | 333 px | Playwrite CA |
| Total movementPaper trail + air travel | 2,784 px | 2,721 px | Playwrite CA |
| Words completedSame task for both models | 9 | 9 | Tie |
“Winner” here means the better value for that single metric in this run. It does not mean an overall winner.
How the simulation works
Real stroke paths, deterministic canvas rendering
The video was not generated by an AI image or video model. We extracted the actual stroke-order paths used by each tested writing model, then replayed those paths on canvas so the motion could be compared under matched conditions.
The pen-tip writing speed is calibrated from the standard italic reference of how many lowercase n characters can be written per minute. This episode uses the FAST setting, rendered as 61.8 pixels per second. Pen-up travel is modeled at 2.5 times the writing speed, which gives lifts a meaningful but explicit cost in the movement totals.
These are benchmark values from our renderer, not a universal law about every writer, pen, surface, or classroom situation.
What this run supports
The result is a trade-off, not a universal verdict
Getty Dubay Joined Beginning completed this lowercase sample sooner, reached a higher measured character throughput, and used a shorter paper trail. Playwrite CA used less air travel and ended with slightly less total movement.
That split is the useful finding: continuous connection can reduce pen lifts, while selective connection can avoid long or costly paper paths. The best result depends on which movement metric matters for the task and how the test is configured.
Transcript and limitations
Read the evidence without playing the video
Transcript: This controlled lowercase handwriting speed test compares Getty Dubay Joined Beginning with Playwrite CA. Both models write “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” at the same configured pen-tip speed. The test records completion time, characters per minute, words per minute, paper-trail length, air-travel length, total movement, and words completed. Getty finishes faster in this run; Playwrite uses less air travel and slightly less total movement. The animation is an original deterministic canvas simulation from extracted real stroke paths, not AI-generated handwriting.
- This page reports one controlled run, not a population study or a guarantee for every writer.
- The pangram contains nine words and 35 lowercase letters; another text sample may change the balance.
- Pixel distances and speed settings describe this renderer’s benchmark model and should not be read as direct physical measurements of a human hand.
- The experiment compares writing-model structure. It does not rank a font for legibility, learning outcomes, or personal preference.
Credits and independence
Original work published with permission
This independent comparison was created by Xin Wan / PrintableHandwriting with Kate Gladstone. Kate received permission from HandwritingSuccess to use the Getty Dubay model for font research, and PrintableHandwriting received Kate’s permission to publish this video, data, and explanatory page. PrintableHandwriting is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a reseller for HandwritingSuccess.
Getty Dubay Joined Beginning is named here as a tested writing model. No competitor logo, product interface, purchase link, or endorsement is implied.