Lettering brushes typically have very long hairs, generally of natural fibers, although the scarcity of some natural fibers has fostered the development of synthetic alternatives. A lettering brush has a round ferrule like the liner, but the end of the hair is shaped flat instead of pointed. This long hair gives them high color carrying capacity, useful for producing large block letters with a single stroke. Lettering with brushes requires more skill and patience than lettering with pens.

Two types of brushes are common to lettering. One type brush is red sable brushes with round ferrules and square tips, this brush is called a rigger. The second type of preferred brush is red sable brushes with flat ferrules. These brushes are held in the same way as pencils or the artist may use a two-finger grip on the middle of the ferrule. The brush bristles should form approximately a 90-degree angle to the lettering surface.

Brushes made of soft natural fibers, such as squirrel and sable, perform best on smooth surfaces such as glass, plastic, vinyl, or metal. For abrasive surfaces, such as rough wood, ceramics, or acrylic primed canvas, choose a brush with a more durable fiber, such as bristle or synthetic. Soft hairs deteriorate rapidly on a rough surface.

The use of the proper brush to the type of painting desired is imperative and can make a vast difference in the quality of the finished painting. Flat paint brushes are specifically designed to produce accurate and beautiful results. Flat-shaped brushes are called flats, having long bristles with a square- cut tip. It is difficult to apply paint with flat bristles because of the elasticity of the bristle. Flats are better suited for fluid strokes and blending. Flats will work well with any pigment and are used with thickened dye, fabric paints, silk dyes, wax, after fix, etc.

A Flat paint brush provides lots of color capacity and easy maneuverability. Used for bold, sweeping strokes, or on edge for fine lines, these brushes work well for dusting parts and also in touch-up work for applying paint and adhesives. It works well in all medium and are available in fibers such as sable, mongoose, bristle,  and synthetic. Ideal for scumbling and glazing, the flat side of these brushes covers large areas and the edge renders thin lines.