Typo

[scooping]

Why are the a and the g produced by a keyboard different shapes than one would use in conventional writing

[bibblebub]

you could try changing the font if you want differently shaped letters

[Tilly2]

Because they are in Helvetica font and we generally use Cursive font for handwriting.

[Psybbo]

because of the font you use, in Italics you would see the conventional ag

[Tilly2]

Helvetica has taken over the world. It's everywhere.

[Psybbo]

That didn't work but it does in an e-mail

[jno]

hard to say, and the r many people use is nothing like the standard printed version either. I think handwriting and printing have just developed along slightly different tracks. But different fonts do use different letters.

[Tilly2]

It would be interesting to ask about people's handwriting styles. I use italics when using my italic nib fountain pen but use cursive when writing with a felt tip pen, biro (shudder) or pencil.

[Calibax]

I'm not sure that 'g' is very different from handwriting but I agree that 'a' rarely has an ascending sweep when handwritten.

[bibblebub]

cursive fonts are probably already installed on your computer e.g. http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p701/bibblebub/cursive_zps9a46aeaf.jpg?t=1395173789

[humbersloop]

I can't point to a source, but I think it goes back to the first days of printing as a way of putting an alignment into each letter to set a straight line of type, giving spacing and a proportional, consistent look to printed words

[Sparkles62]

My handwriting is very distinctive,
I write my lower case a's exactly as they appear here.
I decided in my teens that I wanted to make my handwriting stand out and be different, and I have written this way ever since. X

[scooping]

thanks

[Tilly2]

You are welcome and thank you for BA, scooping.