Today, I'm diving into the exciting world of font creation using Fontself, an app I recently discovered on my iPad. Let me walk you through my journey and what I've learned so far.
Why Fontself?
After trying several free font apps, I decided to invest in Fontself for $20 at the beginning of 2025. It's actually the most I've ever spent on an app but thought it may be worthwhile especially if I decide to sell fonts in the near future. What caught my eye was its compatibility with vectors, which is perfect for the detailed designs I wanted to create. This also works for me as I work in Adobe Illustrator. If you're someone who loves working with vectors like I do, Fontself might just be the tool for you.
Getting Started
When you open Fontself, you're greeted with various templates. Whether you prefer scripts, gothic styles, or a blank canvas to start from scratch, Fontself offers options that cater to your creativity. For me, having templates with pre-written letters helped streamline the process.
Exploring Features
Fontself isn't just about creating fonts; it's about customizing every detail. I particularly enjoy using the grid and cells feature to precisely position each letter. It reminds me of working in Procreate or Adobe Fresco, where attention to detail makes all the difference.
Tools and Techniques
Similar to popular drawing apps, Fontself offers a selection of tools like brushes (brush, pencil, pen) and sizes to suit your font style preferences. The eraser tool, especially with 'Trim Strokes' enabled, helps refine edges seamlessly—a feature I found invaluable during my creative process. The selection tool is my absolute favorite as you can manipulate each vector point if need be.
Creating Your Font
Let's get to the fun part—creating your font! Fontself allows you to design uppercase, lowercase, and even numbers. You can tweak everything from stroke patterns to glyph ranges, ensuring your font matches your vision perfectly.
Exporting and Using Your Font
Once your font is ready, it's time to export. Fontself conveniently exports fonts as OTF files, compatible with Adobe Illustrator and other design platforms. I've personally used my fonts in various projects, from digital illustrations to physical engravings, and the results have been stunning.
My Experience
I recently engraved words onto a photo frame, and seeing my custom font come to life was incredibly rewarding. If you're interested in using my font in your next project, you can find it here.
Conclusion
Fontself has been a game-changer for me, allowing me to explore my creativity in ways I hadn't imagined before. If you're looking to dive into font creation or enhance your design toolkit, I highly recommend giving Fontself a try.
I hope you found this overview helpful! If you have any questions or want more insights into Fontself, feel free to drop them in the comments below. Don't forget to check out my video sharing more detailed information related to this app. Until next time, happy creating!