How do i create a Handwriting Font?

[chriskin]

apparently every single google result about creating free handwriting fonts gives either fontifier or yourfonts, two webapps that get it for you , in exchange for some money.

is there any way, be it on the web,on linux or windows (or any other os :P) to make my own handwriting fonts for free? paying more than 5 euros per font (what the above mentioned webapps ask for - 6 and 10 dollars respectively) is too much, considering that i want them for personal use only.

[billgoldberg]

apparently every single google result about creating free handwriting fonts gives either fontifier or yourfonts, two webapps that get it for you , in exchange for some money.

is there any way, be it on the web,on linux or windows (or any other os :P) to make my own handwriting fonts for free? paying more than 5 euros per font (what the above mentioned webapps ask for - 6 and 10 dollars respectively) is too much, considering that i want them for personal use only.


http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/editexample.html


I suggest making the glyphs with Inkscape and import them into fontforge.

Good luck, it doesn't seem easy.

[chriskin]

http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/editexample.html


I suggest making the glyphs with Inkscape and import them into fontforge.

Good luck, it doesn't seem easy.

how do i make my own handwriting there? fontforge makes you change glyphs with the mouse, can it use my own letters to make a font though?

[Luffield]

Maybe the easyest way would be to scan a page with your handwriting in high resolution, separating each letter from the scanned image to different image files, opening the image file of each letter in Inkscape and converting the scanned image to vector graphics using the "Trace Bitmap" command in the "Path" menu.

On the other hand, there may be easier ways.

[chriskin]

Maybe the easyest way would be to scan a page with your handwriting in high resolution, separating each letter from the scanned image to different image files, opening the image file of each letter in Inkscape and converting the scanned image to vector graphics using the "Trace Bitmap" command in the "Path" menu.

On the other hand, there may be easier ways.


this might be easy
...
thanks :) i'll try it :)

[chriskin]

well, it is as easy as i though. it is a bit time consuming but it is worth it
thanks again for the idea :)

[Luffield]

You mean you already finished doing it? :shock:
I thought it would take at least 4-5 hours!

[chriskin]

You mean you already finished doing it? :shock:
I thought it would take at least 4-5 hours!

no, i just started :P
i had some other work to do first :)
but it is easy so i have no problem spending some time

[piousp]

Maybe you can share your font with us :P :)

[MaxIBoy]

Yeah, we might want to forge your signature someday.

Glad you found a good solution for yourself.

[chriskin]

Maybe you can share your font with us :P :)

can't see why you would want it, it is plain handwriting :P

i will though , once/if it is done since i don't have too much free time


spend the money to come all the way to Greece to forge my signature that you don't know how it is, using the letters of a friend of mine , on my name that you do not know, and hell i will let you have it without telling anyone :)

[chriskin]

fontforge seems to hate me, it crashes when i import the images of the letters :S

[chriskin]

it is ready :)

i included a screenshot in case someone wants to say an opinion :)

[Luffield]

Looks great! Well done.
How did you overcome the problem of importing the glyphs to fontforge?

[chriskin]

Looks great! Well done.
How did you overcome the problem of importing the glyphs to fontforge?

i used the evaluation version of a windows app :$

fontforge just hates me, i couldn't do anything

virtualbox saved the day :)

[lunaz]

which app was it?

[chriskin]

which app was it?

i think that it is the fontcreator one. sorry but i'm not certain, i downloaded like 10 apps , all of them saying that you can use it as an evaluation before buying but only one worked right on evaluation. i think it was the fontcreator .

[kahlil88]

Looks pretty good, but a bit disappointing you were unable to get the job done with Inkscape.

[chriskin]

Looks pretty good, but a bit disappointing you were unable to get the job done with Inkscape.

i didn't use inkscape cause it wasn't needed
i said above that fontforge didn't work properly on my laptop, inkscape isn't needed for this kind of job.

what i did was : scan my handwriting, create an image for each letter, and make them into a font using a font-creating app

as for the cutting of the image into small images , one for each letter, i used Krita, by far my favorite image related app (rather basic though)

[Mr. Picklesworth]

I know the topic has changed a tad, but I may as well give the original post an answer just for people who get here from a search.

Two good sources for free / open fonts:
http://www.fontsquirrel.com/
http://openfontlibrary.org/
Sorry, there is no definitive one. FontSquirrel seems to be pretty popular, though, so I would recommend putting yours up there.

I was following this one (http://blogs.gnome.org/tthurman/2009/03/14/riordonfancy-v4/) on Thomas Thurman's blog, and it's pretty cool. Sounds like a pretty cool experience to have a distinct, interesting font because it really could pop up anywhere (http://nanou.en.normandie.over-blog.com/article-29468371.html):
http://openfontlibrary.org/media/files/tthurman/354 :)

[shantiq]

http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/editexample.html


I suggest making the glyphs with Inkscape and import them into fontforge.

Good luck, it doesn't seem easy.



thank you for your limpid instructions and no it is not easy :KS but well work the effort


one could even photograph/scan one's handwriting and manipulate each letter in inkscape as an import. Anything to do with font creation is patient work :KS

Both inkscape and Fontforge are in synaptic/software centre

[Iowan]

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