inktype.ccWhat to compare
- Whether you need an account. Some tools want an email address before you can start.
- How many characters the free plan allows. Some stop at 26 or 75, which leaves out digits, punctuation or accented letters.
- The file format. OTF and TTF install on Windows, macOS and Linux. WOFF2 is for websites.
- Where your scan goes. Some tools read the photo in your browser, others upload it to their server.
- Whether letters vary. Ligatures and alternate letters make a handwriting font look less mechanical.
- Whether pairs are kerned. Without kerning, pairs like AV and To sit too far apart.
Tools that read a filled-in sheet
You print a template, write in the boxes and upload a photo. Every letter in the font is one you wrote. LeFont, InkFont and Calligrapher do the same in a phone app.
| Tool | Free plan | Account | File format | Your scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| inktype.cc | No character limit | No | OTF, TTF, WOFF, WOFF2 | Stays in your browser |
| Calligraphr | 75 characters, 1 font at a time | Yes | TTF, OTF | Uploaded |
| FontCrafter | Free, no paid plan | No | OTF, TTF, WOFF2 | Stays in your browser |
| fontmaker.co | 26 characters, personal use | No | TTF, OTF, WOFF | Stays in your browser |
| FontPainter | 2 fonts, 100 letters | Yes | Not stated | Uploaded |
| LeFont | TTF export. Kerning, ligatures and WOFF2 need Pro ($2.99 a month or $29.99 once) | No | TTF. WOFF2 on Pro | Stays on your device |
| InkFont | Make and preview fonts. TTF export needs Premium ($2.99 a week or $24.99 a year) | Not stated | TTF | Stays on your device |
| Calligrapher | Personal use only. Subscriptions from $1.99 a week | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Apps you draw in
You draw each letter on screen or edit its outline. It takes longer, but you control every stroke.
| Tool | Price | Runs on | File format |
|---|---|---|---|
| FontCraft | Free for 1 font with A to Z and 0 to 9. Pro is £4.99 per font. | Web, made for iPad and Pencil | TTF, WOFF2. OTF on Pro. |
| iFontMaker | $7.99 on iPad and Mac, $4.99 on Windows | iPad (not working on iPadOS 27 yet), Mac with Apple silicon, Windows | TTF |
| Fontself Maker | $39 for Illustrator, $19.99 on iPad | Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, iPad | OpenType, colour fonts |
| Microsoft Font Maker | Free | Windows, with a pen | Installs as a system font |
| FontForge | Free, open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | TTF, OTF and more |
| BirdFont | Free, but fonts made with the free version must use the SIL Open Font License | Windows, macOS, Linux | TTF, OTF, SVG |
| Glyphs Mini, Glyphs | €49, €319 | macOS | OpenType, variable and colour fonts |
AI tools that fill in the rest
Lipi.ai asks for 10 to 15 letters and generates the others. Mixfont builds a whole font from a photo of a few words. The font looks like your writing, but most of its letters were drawn by a model, not by you. HandFonted uses AI to find and label the letters in one photo, then traces the ones you wrote. All three upload your sample.
Which one fits
- The whole alphabet, free, with no account: inktype.cc or FontCrafter.
- Polish, Czech, Swedish, Russian or Greek letters in your own hand: inktype.cc has a sheet for each of 18 languages.
- Only a phone: FontCrafter works on small screens, and LeFont, InkFont and Calligrapher are iPhone apps. inktype.cc needs a screen at least 980 px wide.
- Ligatures and alternate letters: FontCrafter adds them for free. On inktype.cc you draw your own, also free. Calligraphr and LeFont need Pro for them.
- Automatic kerning: inktype.cc and FontCrafter, both free, or Fontself. LeFont needs Pro.
- A web font (WOFF or WOFF2): inktype.cc, FontCrafter, fontmaker.co or FontCraft.
- Drawing on an iPad: FontCraft or Fontself. iFontMaker does not work on iPadOS 27 yet.
- Control over every curve: FontForge for free, or Glyphs.
inktype on the web, on your computer or from the Mac App Store
All three read the same sheets, have the same editor and export OTF, TTF, WOFF and WOFF2. They differ in where they run, how they keep your work and how you install the font.
| Website | Free desktop app | Mac App Store app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | $4.99, paid once |
| Runs on | A desktop browser, in a window at least 980 px wide | macOS, Windows and Linux | macOS |
| Offline | No, the page loads from inktype.cc | Yes | Yes |
| Your edits | Kept in the browser and restored when you open the same scan again | Kept on your computer and restored when you open the same scan again | Saved as you work, in projects you can export and import as .inktype files |
| Installing the font | You install the exported file | You install the exported file | Install button in the app. The Installed Fonts window reactivates or removes fonts. |
| Updates | Always the current version | Download the new version from the website | Through the Mac App Store |
Tools that no longer work
Older articles still recommend MyScriptFont and PaintFont. MyScriptFont no longer responds, and paintfont.com now forwards to Calligraphr.
How this list was made
Each row comes from the tool's own website, pricing page or app store listing, read on 28 September 2026. The author of this page makes inktype.cc. Its rows list its limits too, such as needing a screen at least 980 px wide.
Calligraphr · FontCrafter · fontmaker.co · FontPainter · LeFont · InkFont · Calligrapher · FontCraft · iFontMaker · Fontself · Microsoft Font Maker · FontForge · BirdFont · Glyphs · Lipi.ai · Mixfont · HandFonted