How to Make Fonts From Your Own Handwriting in Minutes
These days, DIY is not just about things you can create in the offline world. New apps and software services also enable you to make beautiful things online as well (take, for example, our wedding website maker, Weduary).
One of my favorite DIY apps from the past TWO years (check it out in our Best Apps of 2011 list) has definitely been iFontMaker. It’s an iPad app (sorry Android fans!) that lets you create a font from your own handwriting in just minutes. Though it’s a hefty price for an app ($6.99), let’s be real — that’s like two Starbuck’s coffees. I promise you that this app will fulfill you 10x more than those two coffees ever could. Oh, and hello, stocking stuffer!?
The brilliance of this app comes in its ease of use. Once you open it, you will be walked through the entire alphabet and asked to draw your own letters and numbers. You can use your finger, or if you want to get extra fancy, can buy a stylus (or make one yourself!) for extra precision. I used my finger and was pleased with the results. The app also lets you switch between virtual drawing tools like a pen, pencil, and even a calligraphy pen. You can also set the widths smaller or wider for added effect.
I had fun creating a standard Brit font (my everyday handwriting) as well as Brit Cursive. (Yep, you get to name the fonts whatever you want!) By the way, I don’t think I’ve written a full cursive alphabet since the 3rd grade. I literally had to Google how to draw a cursive “z” because it’s been so long. Whew, good refresher!
Once you’re satisfied with your font, you can simply export it to your computer via email. Then just save it in your fonts folder so that you can use it in all of your apps like Word, Photoshop, Powerpoint, and more. This makes it easy to use in any letter, presentation, or photo title. I had lots of fun playing around with my two new fonts on the photos below.
Fun idea for a more personalized holiday card, huh? The possibilities are endless. I could play with this app all day long! I’m sure it could also be fantastic for kids — imagine the shock they’ll have when they realize they can write a letter to grandma on the computer using their own handwriting. Plus, it’s a great excuse to get them to practice their cursive.
What would you use a custom handwritten font for? We can’t wait to see you guys having fun with this!