<p>There are in fact a few websites out there, not to mention hundreds of book titles. You may want to try guoxuedashi.com, which has one overview page for each character (eg <a href="http://www.guoxuedashi.com/zidian/672C.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.guoxuedashi.com/zidian/672C.html</a>) and many sub-pages, one of them indeed with a nice overview of writing styles with pictures from historical sources, such as <a href="http://shufa.guoxuedashi.com/672C/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://shufa.guoxuedashi.com/672C/</a>. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-24T22:57:46.053Z
2017-02-24T22:57:46.053Z
John Frazer
<p>Actually, we don't have so much different kind of handwriting styles in Chinese. Usually there are two types: regular script (楷体) or running script (行体). Regular script is just the standard writing style and the running one is something we write when we write faster.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-24T09:54:49.333Z
2017-02-24T09:54:49.333Z
Jason
<p>Mobile software Pleco has this function, here's a look at the charter 好</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nXF3b.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>So the order is something like:</p>

<p>篆、草、行、楷</p>

<p>Seal, cursive, running and regular scripts.</p>

<p>(They're not all free though)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-25T01:13:42.277Z
2017-02-25T01:13:42.277Z
Mou某
<p>Is there any online database or printed reference work where it's possible to look up a character and see it written in many different styles, like different printing fonts, cursives and pictures from classic calligraphy works?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-27T01:04:26.913Z
"different ways" could mean "different (non-standard) stroke orders"
see e.g. 国家调整部分汉字笔顺 “火”字写法引争议,  http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2012-04/28/c_123051708.htm
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-27T16:35:38.620Z
Thanks, that's not my main point, I will clarify the heading!
PetaspeedBeaver
<characters><writing><handwriting>
Reference for different looking ways of writing a character?
# Reference for different looking ways of writing a character?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-24)

Is there any online database or printed reference work where it's possible to look up a character and see it written in many different styles, like different printing fonts, cursives and pictures from classic calligraphy works?

**Tags:** characters, writing, handwriting
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "different ways" could mean "different (non-standard) stroke orders" see e.g. 国家调整部分汉字笔顺 “火”字写法引争议,  http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2012-04/28/c_123051708.htm  
> **username_0**: Thanks, that's not my main point, I will clarify the heading!  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-02-24. Score: 2

There are in fact a few websites out there, not to mention hundreds of book titles. You may want to try guoxuedashi.com, which has one overview page for each character (eg <http://www.guoxuedashi.com/zidian/672C.html>) and many sub-pages, one of them indeed with a nice overview of writing styles with pictures from historical sources, such as <http://shufa.guoxuedashi.com/672C/>.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-02-24. Score: 1

Actually, we don't have so much different kind of handwriting styles in Chinese. Usually there are two types: regular script (楷体) or running script (行体). Regular script is just the standard writing style and the running one is something we write when we write faster.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-02-25. Score: 1

Mobile software Pleco has this function, here's a look at the charter 好

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/nXF3b.jpg)

So the order is something like:

篆、草、行、楷

Seal, cursive, running and regular scripts.

(They're not all free though)


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