Alternatives · 2026
Alternatives to Fontself
Make custom fonts inside Illustrator and Photoshop.
0 hand-curated alternatives from MintedSaaS's directory. See the Fontself listing →
Fontself is a plugin for Adobe Creative Suite that lets designers create custom fonts directly inside Illustrator and Photoshop. You draw or import vector artwork, map each glyph to a keyboard character, and generate a working font file. It's used by designers who want to turn hand-drawn letterforms, calligraphy, doodles, or bespoke typography into usable font files without leaving their existing design tools or learning font-editing software like FontLab, Glyphs, or RoboFont.
The typical workflow involves artists and graphic designers who've spent time perfecting lettering in Adobe, then realize they need that same style as a reusable font—either for a client project, a personal brand, or to sell as a product. Some users are type designers experimenting with new forms before committing to a full font editor. Others are studios that want to streamline the lettering-to-font pipeline without adding new tools to their stack. If you're shopping for alternatives, you're probably looking for a way to generate fonts from vector art, with varying levels of ease-of-use, automation, and professional output.
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What to look for
- Whether the tool is a plugin that stays inside your design software or a standalone application you need to switch to.
- Whether the tool includes visual kerning controls or requires you to manually pair letters for spacing adjustment.
- Whether generated fonts support advanced OpenType features like ligatures, contextual alternates, and language-specific shaping.
- Whether the output is a standard font file format (OTF, TTF, variable fonts) or proprietary and locked to one ecosystem.
- Whether you can import vector paths from other apps or must draw directly in the tool itself.
- Whether the tool includes a trial period or free version to test the workflow before paying for a full license.
FAQ
What's the easiest way to turn hand-drawn letters into a font file?
The easiest method depends on your starting point. If you've already drawn in Illustrator or Photoshop, a plugin like Fontself keeps you in the software you know. If you're starting fresh or want more control over kerning and spacing, a dedicated font editor like Glyphs lets you draw or import vectors and build the font with finer control. For the fastest turnaround with minimal learning curve, plugins win; for professional-grade output, a dedicated editor is worth the time investment.
Are there free tools to convert artwork into fonts?
Yes. Birdfont is a free, open-source font editor that lets you design and build fonts from scratch. FontForge is older and steeper to learn, but also free and open-source. Both let you import vectors and create fonts without plugins. On the paid side, Glyphs and Fontlab offer free trials. Fontself's pricing varies by plan, so check current rates on their site.
Can you make a font from hand-drawn artwork or scans?
Hand-drawn artwork needs to be vectorized first—traced or drawn as vector paths. Scans can be traced using Adobe's Image Trace or specialized vectorization software like Autotrace or Potrace. Once you have clean vector paths, tools like Fontself, Glyphs, and Birdfont can map those paths to letters and build the font.
What are the best alternatives to Fontself?
The main alternatives are Glyphs, Fontlab, RoboFont, and Birdfont. Glyphs is the industry standard for type designers and supports both Mac and Windows with a gentle learning curve. Fontlab is more powerful but aimed at professionals. RoboFont is scripting-first and suits developers. Birdfont is free and open-source. If you want to stay inside Adobe, Fontself is still the only plugin option.
What platform does Fontself run on, and are there alternatives for other software?
Fontself is a plugin for Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, so it requires a Creative Cloud subscription. If you use Affinity Designer, there's no Fontself plugin, but you can export vectors and move to Glyphs, Fontlab, or Birdfont. If you work exclusively in Adobe, Fontself is the only in-app solution; otherwise, standalone font editors are your main option.
How much control do you get over kerning, spacing, and OpenType features?
Fontself handles basic spacing and kerning but is designed for speed, not pro-level OpenType work. Glyphs and Fontlab give you detailed control over kerning pairs, contextual alternates, ligatures, and OpenType code. If you only need a clean, workable font, Fontself is enough. If your font needs complex spacing logic or language-specific features, a dedicated editor is necessary.
Can you sell or distribute fonts you create with these tools?
Yes, fonts you create are yours to sell, distribute, or use commercially—the tools don't restrict that. Check each tool's licensing terms for any fine print, but Fontself, Glyphs, Glyphs, Birdfont, and Fontlab all allow commercial use and distribution of the output.
Do I need to know programming or scripting to use these tools?
No—Fontself, Glyphs, Fontlab, and Birdfont all have visual editors that require no code. RoboFont is different; it's built on Python scripting and targets developers. If you want a straightforward, click-and-drag interface, stick with Fontself, Glyphs, or Birdfont.