Friday, September 11, 2009

Making Your Own Font

The idea of having a font made from my own handwriting has intrigued me ever since I was introduced to MS Word and the world of fonts. But I had resigned to fate, assuming that I had to either become the next big thing in calligraphy or needed to build a brand as big as Cadbury's to have my wish fulfilled.

 
However, a few days back I stumbled upon this site which made my long time wish come true - www.fontcapture.com And the simple logic implemented behind the technology is praiseworthy.
You will find the easiest step by step guides on the site. I am producing some screenshots of how I made my font in case you want the proof of the pudding before the eating.
Step 1: Download the blank form template (shown below) from the site. This basically includes all characters which you need to fill out with a sharp black marker.
 


Step 2: Filling out the characters. Below I have put my scanned copy of the same.

 
And we are almost done. Now we just need to upload this file (.jpg or .png) and we have our own home grown font!
Seeing my font on screen I was expecting to be beeming with pride after the age old wish coming true. However, all I felt was a sense of shame for having never taken my parents' and teachers' repeated warnings to improve my hand writing. But I have promised to myself that just to have an enviable font made after my writing style, I will again pick up the pen and rough pads and start scribbling.
Here's how the font will look like. Well, should be much better for most of you:)

4 comments:

Tanmay Mukherjee said...

Thats not good! Not good at all! What if everybody starts using this font for a more personalized form of writing and soon it becomes the norm?

Of all persons, I'm the one who is going to be doomed! Suhel,its only my handwritten font..that would make your font look 'beautiful'!

Suhel Banerjee said...

I dread the day you will make your handwritten font. Maybe that is the only bhrahmastra to get the world off the net. Maybe we now know how the web will come to an end:)

amna said...

Gosh! Yes Suhel, that's bordering on illegible :D

Suhel Banerjee said...

@Nags - It is not necessary for an evangelist of poetry to be greatest poet, isn't it? Similar is my role in this mission to spread the word of personalised fonts:-p