Graphology is the study of the writing system of a language – the orthographic conventions that have been devised to turn speech into writing, using any available technology (e.g. pen and ink, typewriter, printing press, electronic screen). For Modern English, the core of the system is the alphabet of twenty-six letters, in its lower-case (a, b, c…) and upper-case (A, B, C…) forms, along with the rules of spelling and capitalization which govern the way these letters are combined to make words. The system also includes the set of punctuation marks and the conventions of text positioning (such as headings and indents), which are used to organize text by identifying sentences, paragraphs, and other written units. Additionally, a huge array of visual features is available to express contrasts and nuances of meaning, such as underlining, colours, and typefaces, and these contribute to the overall visual appearance of a text – a property which, today, falls within the professional remit of graphic designers.

When used with reference to individuals, graphology refers to the way that we personally exploit the properties of the writing system. Having been taught to write, we each have a distinctive style of handwriting. And when the system displays variation in punctuation and spelling, we have to choose what to do. In punctuation: do I insert a comma before and in such phrases as tall, dark, and handsome?