The font or typeface that we use in our projects and documents is usually essential, not only visually. If a text is not attractive or is too difficult to read, it can cause the reader to leave the ship prematurely.
So that this does not happen, there are many free fonts that you can download from the Internet. They will help you find the design that best suits your content. If you are looking for a font that is 100% original, there is nothing like getting down to work and doing it yourself, right?
How to create your own font or typeface from scratch
There are times when you are very clear about the typeface you want to use, but no matter how hard you search, you cannot find one that fits exactly what you need. You may even want to digitize your own writing style. In situations like this, if you have a little knowledge of design or like to draw and write by hand, you can create the font on your own free of charge.
Currently, several programs and web applications allow you to create custom fonts and then download them in OTF or TTF format to use them in Word, Photoshop, on your website, or in the app that you are developing, etc. The profits are practically endless. These are the 5 best free tools for creating fonts you can find right now on the web. Do not lose sight of them!
FontStruct
FontStruct is a website to download fonts for free, but the best of all is that it also has a font creation tool. If you are looking for a clear and easy-to-read design, this is one of the best options since it works through grids (pixel by pixel).
For each pixel or grid, you can choose curved, rectangular, and other designs so that the result allows you to achieve a 100% original and personalized font. Once the work is completed, click the “Download” button to download the font in TTF format.
It is essential to register on the web to use the font creator. The good thing is that it has many extras, such as a gallery with fonts already made by other users that you can view for inspiration or directly download them for use in your project.
Metaflop Modulator
If going around designing pixel by pixel for each letter seems too complicated, or you do not obtain the results you like, you should definitely look at Metaflop. This online tool is much simpler since it allows you to modify the thickness, curvature, size, and other properties of the font (a total of 16 adjustable parameters) until the desired result is achieved.
The best thing about Metaflop is that it allows you to see in real-time the changes you are applying to the base font so that the design work is very dynamic. Once you have the font to your liking, you can download it in OTF or Webfont format. You don’t have to register to use it.
Calligraphr
Is there anything more personal than handwriting? If you want to convert your own calligraphy into a font, this is a web application that you cannot ignore. With Calligraphr, you only have to print a template that they provide on the page itself, fill in all the characters with your own handwriting, and send them the result.
From here, the Calligraphr editor allows you to make some adjustments (change the thickness, add new lines) so that the font is just the way you want it. Fonts can be exported in both TTF and OTF formats.
The application is completely free but requires registration and limits the number of characters with which you can work simultaneously. If you want to break this barrier, you will have to go to the premium plan (which, logically, is paid). In any case, an excellent tool.
FontLab
This is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive tool on the list. FontLab is a kind of Photoshop but exclusively oriented to the creation of unique fonts and fonts. It is available for Windows/Mac and has several types of brushes, lines, thicknesses, and all kinds of editing settings to make the result as professional as possible. In addition, it has a function called FontAudit that detects inconsistencies in the stroke and any other type of irregularity so that you can correct it.
Although it has a free 30-day trial period, the application is not free. More than enough time if you only want to create a font for a specific project. However, given its complexity, it presents a fairly high learning curve, so it may not be the ideal option if what you are looking for is a quick solution.
Fonty
In this case, we put web applications aside to focus on an app for mobile devices called Fonty. It is a free tool for Android, very similar to Calligraphr since it is responsible for creating fonts from our manual writing.
Of course, with Fonty, you don’t have to print any template and then scan it again. Here you should do all the calligraphy directly from the screen of the phone or tablet. The result is, therefore, not as natural as when you write on paper. It is the most practical and simple way to create personalized fonts to use on your smartphone (WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, etc.) through the integrated keyboard that brings Fonty himself as standard.
The assessment of Fonty in the Play Store is not very good. The reason? The application allows you to create your own keyboard with custom fonts that you can use in other apps. Unfortunately, the texts you write are pasted as images (GIF files, to be more specific), so they do not end up working very organically in a conversation. Of course, it can be used to write funny messages, or even romantic, with your own handwriting, but not as the main communication method.
