Learn how to turn your handwriting into a font

Are you looking for a fun, creative project? Then, this post is for you.

We have discovered Calligraphr, a tool that allows you to turn your handwriting into a font. Although the results can not be compared with the work of a professional font designer, it’s a fun thing to do! If you are searching for a professional handwritten font, here you’ll find lots of them.

If you want to learn how to do this project at home, keep reading.

Create your own handwritten font, step-by-step

Go to Calligraphr.com and register with an email. You can use the tool for free, but you will need to log in every time you want to use it.

If you want to learn more about the features of the free and the paid version, check this page. In our case, for the sake of this tutorial, we’ll use the free version.

Once you’ve logged in, go to “Templates” on the top menu.

A new options panel will appear on the left side of the screen. On this menu, you can set the language preferences of the font you are going to create. We have selected “Minimal English.” This way, we’ll be sure to create all the minimum characters that we need to write in English.

Once you’ve set your language preference, a sub-navigation menu will appear on the upper side of your screen. On the sub-navigation, press “Download Template.”

An opening dialogue will appear on the screen. Press “Download.”

You will receive on your device a file with a template. You must save and print this template. 

Cover the template with a black pen. According to the tool’s developers, felt-tip pens are the best choice for this purpose.

Try to place your characters in the center of the corresponding boxes.

Once you have finished covering the template, scan it, or take a picture. It is essential to include the four marks at the corners in your scan or photo.

Let’s go back to the tool. Go to the top navigation menu and hit “My fonts.”

In “My Fonts,” select “Upload Template.”

A dialogue box will appear on your screen. The tool will ask you to select a file. Browse in your device to find the image with your characters. 

Press “Upload Template” when you are ready.

The tool will display a character preview. Check if it is ok and click “Add characters to your font“ to continue.

Now, you have loaded your set of characters to the app. You will be able to modify them afterward if it’s necessary.

In the upper sub-navigation menu, click “Build font.”A dialog box will appear. Hit “Build.”

You will have to wait for the tool to complete the process. When the font is ready, you will see a preview. 

You’ll also be able to adjust the size of the characters.

If everything is correct, download the TTF file with the font.

To be able to use your font on your device, you must install it. If you do not know how to do this, check the guides that we have written about the process of installing fonts on Mac and installing fonts on Windows. 

When you create a font, you are the owner of its copyright. This means that you won’t need a license to use your font for any purpose.

As you can see in the image above, the aspect of this self-made font is not as professional as the aspect of a designer font. In any case, it is charming!

If you are searching for more script font inspiration, check our growing library!