YourFonts - Generate a font based on your handwriting

[erwind]

Yesterday a new online service was born, it's called YourFonts.

http://www.yourfonts.com/

It will remain in beta for a short period. During the beta period, all generated fonts will be available for free. You just need to fill in this special coupon:
YourFont2008

Then you can instantly download your own font, and use it in word processing, desktop publishing and graphic design programs like Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator, etc.

[attach]

[jgpaiva]

See also Scanahand, a similar program (not web-based) by the same company and that DC had a discount to. (Not sure if it's still active)

[mouser]

Congrats on a new program Erwin 

[erwind]

See also Scanahand, a similar program (not web-based) by the same company and that DC had a discount to. (Not sure if it's still active)

Yes, the Scanahand discount is still active, but you need to have Windows. People who have a Mac, Linux or any other O.S. can use yourfonts.com as it's an online service 

Congrats on a new program Erwin 

Thanks!

[nosh]

Thanks erwind,

It worked well but the 'z' was a bit messed up. Just letting you know since the service is in beta.
As you can see from the template, it probably happened coz the 'z' came a bit too close to the border, though it didn't cross it.

Font preview:
[attachimg=#]


Template:
[attachimg=#]

[lesterst]

This is fun.  I tried it.  The process flows very nicely with good instructions all along the way.  I missed the coupon code above initially and was redirected to the paypal page but I was pretty sure you said it was free so I came back and checked and there it was.  My only disappointment, and this is not the programs fault, is that when I tried out my new font in Word, it does not look at all like my own handwriting.  So now I am thinking I would need to write out a page of normal text and then cut the letters out so they have the proper tilt and connectors, if I wanted to actually generate my handwriting. (Also, its funny, but I couldnt for the life of me remember how to write a capital F in cursive).

[KenR]

Congrats on a new program Erwin 

Hi Erwin
What Mouser said above. Congratulations on what I'm sure is another fine program.
Ken

[emerald222]

Very neat!!  Thanks so much for the find.  

[wreckedcarzz]

I tried the app, and printed out the page in Firefox - little did I know that FF scaled the GIF down to ~33% of its size, so when I scanned it back in @ 300DPI, it looked like my handwriting, but everything is pretty much uppercase. I am keeping the font, however, as it does look like my casual writing (minus the gigantic "O" vs "O" (capital), but... well I guess that is my normal handwriting)

I love it, great job!

[vixay]

That was great. I tried it out... as well... i will have to retry as it didn't come out as nicely...

Another nice idea would be to have the preview show some formatted text as well (quick brown fox... etc... or some other paragraphs), because in isolation it might look OK, but together it doesn't look that great.

The problem i had was that the bottom alignment was off for me...
writing on lines is a lot easier then writing on imaginary lines. is there a way to actually include the line in the template and then exclude the line in post processing?? Just a thought.

But it's a great idea, and thanks for the freebie! Btw, how long is the beta on till?

Plus, what happens to the signature at the end? Can we use that somehow? It's not clear from the font itself.

[Deozaan]

The problem i had was that the bottom alignment was off for me...
writing on lines is a lot easier then writing on imaginary lines. is there a way to actually include the line in the template and then exclude the line in post processing?? Just a thought.

Plus, what happens to the signature at the end? Can we use that somehow? It's not clear from the font itself.

If it's the same as Scanahand, then there should be an option to print faint guide lines for your letters.

As for the signature, you use the ^ (shift-6) symbol to show the signature.

EDIT: Okay, I checked it out and the template doesn't have an option for guide lines like Scanahand does. I've uploaded a template from Scanahand with the guide lines.

[gwynevans]

Hmm, interesting.  I found that apart from not being able to get the bases of the letters in the right place, they all came out very small, which wasn't really apparent, or at least obvious from the preview. 

I'd suggest seeing if there's any way you can show a size 11, 'standard' char for size comparision in the preview - it might have people trying a couple more times, but they should be happier about the result.

[vixay]

Has anybody tried using the scanahand template yet? Does it work on YourFont.com as well? or does it cause problems?

And GwynEvans you are right, the characters are too small, and i had to increase the font size to be able to view the text correctly...

Cool nonetheless!

[erwind]

First of all sorry for my late reply. I was away for two weeks and although I had Internet access during that time, I couldn't post here as I forgot to write down my DC password...

It worked well but the 'z' was a bit messed up. Just letting you know since the service is in beta.

Hi nosh,

Thanks for letting me know. I've further improved the algorithm, so this should no longer happen.

I noticed you used a 96 dpi scan. For best results I recommend you use a 300 dpi scanned in image. In other words, the width should be at least 2000 pixels and the height at least 3000 pixels.

[erwind]

Another nice idea would be to have the preview show some formatted text as well (quick brown fox... etc... or some other paragraphs), because in isolation it might look OK, but together it doesn't look that great.

Thanks for letting me know. I'll see if such feature can be added.

The problem i had was that the bottom alignment was off for me...
writing on lines is a lot easier then writing on imaginary lines. is there a way to actually include the line in the template and then exclude the line in post processing?? Just a thought.

The Scanahand template with colored guidelines made available by Deozaan can be used.

But it's a great idea, and thanks for the freebie! Btw, how long is the beta on till?

Probably a couple of weeks, but I'm not sure yet.

[erwind]

And GwynEvans you are right, the characters are too small, and i had to increase the font size to be able to view the text correctly...

I'm not saying it's easy, even I had to try a couple of times before I was able to follow the instructions mentioned here:
http://www.yourfonts.com/complete.html

Cool nonetheless!

Thanks 

[nosh]

I noticed you used a 96 dpi scan. For best results I recommend you use a 300 dpi scanned in image. In other words, the width should be at least 2000 pixels and the height at least 3000 pixels.

I had scanned @600 dpi (my default setting) and the end result was way too huge so I resized it (over-wrote the file) to something that seemed more fitting for upload, which was a bit below the minimum requirement so I had to resize it again to 1000px or whatever the minimum was. 

Good to know you've updated the algorithm  , I got around the problem by shifting the z up a notch in a paint application.

[erwind]

When you enlarge a too small image, you still lose a lot of the quality, better try again with a 150 or 300 dpi scan.

FYI the width must be between 1000 and 4000 while the height must be between 1000 and 5000.

[nosh]

Will do, thanks again.

PS: I haven't read the online instructions too carefully but it would be a good idea to put these pixel limits in them, if you haven't already done so.

[Dormouse]

Well, with Deozaan's form I'll give it another go.

And the last time I tried, I had to do a lot of tweaking to get it to the right pixel size. Once it stops being a free demo, I think that nearly all the resizing ought to be done on the server, just with guidelines about ideal file size and pixel sizes (and a maximum file size limit for uploads). And some guidance about how to write in the template. I'd think ease of use would be important.

[erwind]

And the last time I tried, I had to do a lot of tweaking to get it to the right pixel size.

No need to resize, just follow the instructions and scan in at 300 dpi.

And some guidance about how to write in the template. I'd think ease of use would be important.

Is this not sufficient?
http://www.yourfonts.com/complete.html

[Dormouse]

Had to resize because scanning was to PDF & I found it needed to be an image format, so I converted & then had to resize because the prog would not take the original size. Next time, I'll change the settings and scan to jpg.

That guidance is fine - except I didn't see it when I tried it. Don't know how/why I missed it.

[erwind]

Hi Dormouse,

Thanks for your feedback.

Had to resize because scanning was to PDF & I found it needed to be an image format, so I converted & then had to resize because the prog would not take the original size. Next time, I'll change the settings and scan to jpg.

That guidance is fine - except I didn't see it when I tried it. Don't know how/why I missed it.

I'm sure you're not the only one ;-) I sometimes miss the most obvious things...

[tomos]

I think it's a case of you print something out & you're on a different wavelength and start working with that without going back to instructions - I know cause thats how I work ..

another possibility would be to have the "Complete Template" page first - & then the Download/Print page (or have it at the bottom of the "Complete Template" page)

[erwind]

Thanks for the idea.

I've added this sentence to step 1:

"Before you grab a pen, please first go to step 2 and read the instructions about how to fill out the template."

Hopefully that will help.