FontCapture is the latest way to turn your handwriting into a font. There’s no charge, and the process is pretty simple:
1. You download a font template
2. Fill it in with your handwriting scan it at 200 DPI or higher
3. Save the scan as a PNG or GIF file
4. Upload the file to the FontCapture Web site
5. Download the resulting font, which works on Windows and the Mac.
I don’t see any reason to limit yourself to alphanumeric characters, either — think of the hand-drawn dingbat possibilities!
There’s just one potential caveat: It’s unclear who owns the font, you or FontCapture. So if you plan to use the handwriting font for a commercial project, I recommend that you get the company to put the terms of service in writing.
YourFonts is another Web-based service that turns your handwriting into a font for free. It also offers $49 software for the same purpose. Fontifier is another option; it charges $9 per font.
This article was last modified on December 14, 2022
This article was first published on September 1, 2009
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