How do you write numbers one and seven?

[Kevin&Leilei 1]

I used to write my sevens like this for a while, but everyone complained that it looked like a cursive F, so I stopped. My cursive F's look nothing like that. My email address has a zero in it, so when I write it down to give to someone, I always slash the zero, just to distinguish it from an O. My ones are usually a single line, except when they're in a place where they might be confused for a lowercase L or a capital I, then I'll add the little hook and serif at the bottom. My capital I's are usually a single line, unless they're standing alone (as in the word "I"), then I'll add the serifs.

[Ed+Cindy 1]

I write one l, just a single line, and seven 7, no line through it!

I also don't cross my Z's. I interchange 2 and the two that curls like a pretzel...any other way to describe that???

I learned to slash the 7, the Z and the 0 from my COBOL programming years using coding sheets

Yeah, I think it can be more professional than cultural. I'm an engineer and scientist and cross my 7s, Zs and 0s.

I learned to do that in university.

Most Americans who aren't technical don't though.

[bora bora 1]

I learned to write my 7s with the dash through them years ago while I was studying abroad in South America and it kind of stuck. I think this topic is great because I change the way I write my 1s while I'm in Brazil, and my husband has done the same now that we're in the U.S. Otherwise people may not understand why his 1 looks like an I. His 4s look kind of funny for Americans too and he has been misunderstood, so I encourage him to write his 4s and 5s more "American".