Open Grid Fonts

Guide

How to make your own font for free

You don’t need font software or any experience. With Grid Fonts you draw each letter on a grid, right in your browser, then download a real font file you can install and use anywhere. It’s free, there’s no sign-up, and the font is yours.

Start making your font

How it works

  1. Pick a grid

    Each grid gives your letters a different shape. You can switch at any time, and each grid keeps its own letters.

  2. Draw your letters

    Every grid starts with a full alphabet for you to change. Click or drag to fill the grid, and start on a filled part to erase.

  3. Check the preview

    Type any text in the preview to see your letters together, at any size.

  4. Download your font

    Name your font and add your name as its designer. You get an .otf file, ready to install.

Choose from four grids

Each grid builds letters from different shapes. Here’s the same letter, and the same words, on each one.

Arc

5 × 5 cells made of circle slices and corner pieces. Soft, rounded, geometric letters.

Block

7 × 7 squares, with sharp, round or chamfered corners. Pixel and blocky letters.

Halo

Circles crossed by straight lines, 6 or 10 units wide. Narrow, rounded letters.

Plane

Shapes you place and drag on a 14 × 11 grid. Wide, flat letters.

How to install your font

Mac
Double-click the .otf file, then click Install in Font Book.
Windows
Right-click the .otf file and choose Install.
Linux
Open the file and click Install, or copy it to ~/.local/share/fonts.

Once it’s installed, your font shows up in design apps such as Figma, Sketch, Illustrator and Affinity. If it doesn’t appear, close and reopen the app. Figma in a web browser also needs Figma’s font installer.

Can I sell a font I made?

Yes. The font is your work, and it belongs to you. When you download it, your name is saved in the font file as its designer and copyright holder, with a licence line saying you’re free to use, share, modify and sell it. The licence line also says it was made with Grid Fonts.

Questions

Is Grid Fonts really free?

Yes. There’s no sign-up, no paid version and no watermark. If you’d like to support it, there’s an optional Buy Me a Coffee link.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Grid Fonts runs in your web browser. It works best on a desktop or laptop.

Which characters can I make?

50 glyphs: the letters A to Z, the numbers 0 to 9, and . , : ; ! ? ' " - + = / ( ). If you type in lowercase, you get the capitals. Accented letters aren’t included yet.

Is my work saved?

Yes, automatically, in the browser you’re using. It isn’t synced between devices, and clearing your browser data deletes it, so download your font to keep a copy.

Are my designs uploaded anywhere?

No. Your font is built on your own computer, in the browser. Nothing is sent to a server.

What file do I get?

An OpenType font (.otf). It installs on Mac, Windows and Linux and works in design apps such as Figma, Sketch, Illustrator and Affinity.

Ready to draw?

Your first letters are one click away.

Open Grid Fonts