This was the most popular form of handwriting in the United States after being invented by Platt Rogers Spencer. Spencerian penmanship became the standard way to teach handwriting in schools after being forcefully promoted by Spencer's own family to various business schools around the country. This was not the first system of handwriting to attempt to establish some sort of consistent standard, however, and followed multiple efforts by others such as John Jenkins and Alvin Dunton, creator of the Duntonian system.
Similar to the simplistic art sometimes shown in Japanese Zen calligraphy, off-hand flourishing did not actually involve communicating words or letters. These were artistic patterns and pictures made by the average pen. Now rare, off-hand flourishes were once a popular style of ornamental penmanship.
One penman famous for his off-hand flourishes was John D. Williams who first became known through his work in advertising. His growing popularity led to the publication of a book called "Packard and Williams' Gems of Penmanship" with fellow penman Silas Packard.
Arabic calligraphy comes in multiple styles such as Farsi, Kufi and Thuluth. With Islam's strict ban on representing the prophet Mohammed, much of its art comes in the form of calligraphy. Each of the different styles of Arabic calligraphy have their own characteristics that make them unique. Kufi, for example, is known for its squareness and sharp angles. Naskh, one of the earliest Arabic scripts, is notable for its rhythm, and became popular for its readability after being redesigned in the 10th century.
Considered a respectable art, calligraphy is very important in Japan, and is known for its minimalism. Similarly, in China, calligraphy is considered more important than other forms of painting. The earliest forms of Chinese calligraphy were found on bone and the shells of turtles, and give some information about this early Chinese culture, as it was often used to note predictions and divinations. Many of the preserved works of calligraphy from this culture are seemingly mundane items such as these predictions, or in the case of the Chu Shi Biao, letters.