From Handwriting to Font for Free
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
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Recommended for you
Type Hunting Offers a Look at Some Great Vintage Typography
If you’re a true type addict, someone who could happily spend all day look...
Download Second dot-font Book for Free
From digital to print to digital again—that’s the path John D. Berry...
Font Fetish: Jonathan Barnbrook
Readers of a certain age will remember when Emigre released Exocet and Mason, ed...
