Fontself

Fontself turns lettering into custom OpenType fonts through desktop software for Illustrator and Photoshop, or its standalone iPad app. On desktop, users create glyphs by dragging shapes or lettering into the Fontself panel, then work with alternates, ligatures, spacing, and kerning. The Maker exports standard OpenType and OpenType-SVG color fonts. Illustrator creates vector color fonts, while Photoshop creates bitmap color fonts. The iPad app includes vector brushes, Bézier curve and nib editing, spacing and kerning, font metadata, and font installation for native iPad apps such as Procreate, Pages, Keynote, and Goodnotes. Fontself Maker requires Adobe CC 2025 or newer. A personal desktop license covers two devices if the purchaser is the sole user on both. Fontself is paid, with no free plan or trial; updates are free after purchase. The Illustrator Maker is $39, paid once, tax excluded, and the Illustrator and Photoshop bundle is $59, paid once, tax excluded. Support includes in-app chat, tutorials, and help articles.

Fontself offers distinct desktop and iPad font-making workflows, with color-font support and OpenType layout controls. Check the CC version requirement and license terms before choosing a desktop plan.

Fontself suits lettering artists and designers who want to make custom fonts using Adobe desktop apps or an iPad. Desktop users need CC 2025 or newer; the iPad app offers a separate workflow.

Fontself converts hand lettering and drawn shapes into installable OpenType fonts through Adobe desktop extensions or a standalone iPad app. It suits illustrators, lettering artists, and designers who want their own typefaces without leaving Illustrator, Photoshop, or iPad drawing workflows. The purchase is most compelling when color fonts and detailed OpenType controls matter, but Adobe-version requirements and the absence of a trial narrow its audience.

Overview

Fontself Maker works as an extension for Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, while the iPad product is a separate app. On desktop, glyphs come from dragging shapes or lettering into the Fontself panel, turning an existing illustration process into font production. The desktop Maker exports standard OpenType fonts and OpenType-SVG color fonts, with Illustrator producing vector color fonts and Photoshop producing bitmap color fonts.

The iPad app takes a more self-contained approach. Vector brushes, Bézier-curve and nib editing, spacing and kerning controls, metadata fields, and font installation are built into the app. Installed fonts can be used in native iPad apps including Procreate, Pages, Keynote, and Goodnotes.

Key features

Desktop typography controls

Alternates, ligatures, spacing, and kerning controls give a type designer practical control over how a finished font behaves, rather than limiting the work to a basic character set. That makes Fontself better suited to display lettering and expressive alphabets that need contextual or stylistic refinement.

Color-font workflow

Color output is a meaningful differentiator: Illustrator handles vector color fonts, while Photoshop handles bitmap color fonts. Choose the Adobe host according to the artwork you need to preserve; the two approaches are not interchangeable.

iPad production

The iPad app is useful when drawing, editing, and installing fonts all need to happen on the tablet. Its native-app installation path is practical for creators working in Apple’s creative and productivity apps, while the desktop extensions remain the better fit for Adobe-centered production.

Support and data handling

In-app chat, tutorials, and help-center articles provide assistance. Fontself SAS, incorporated in France with a registered office in Paris, says it makes reasonable efforts to protect personal data but cannot guarantee protection from unauthorized third-party access. Listed services include Firebase, Segment, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Intercom, and RevenueCat.

Pricing

Fontself has no free plan and no free trial. The store lists Fontself Maker for Illustrator CC at $39, paid once, a one-time fee before tax; the page also shows $98. It covers Illustrator CC 2025–2026, desktop use only, and a personal license for two devices. Updates are free after purchase. This is the focused choice for Illustrator users who do not need Photoshop bitmap color fonts.

Fontself Maker Bundle for Illustrator & Photoshop CC costs $59, paid once, billed as a one-time fee before tax; the page also shows $78. It supports Illustrator and Photoshop CC 2025–2026 on desktop and includes the same two-device personal-license condition. Pay for the bundle when both Adobe applications are part of your lettering workflow; otherwise the Illustrator plan avoids buying an unused host.

The two-device allowance is personal: the purchaser must be the sole user on both installations. Illustrator Maker requires Illustrator CC 2025 or newer and will not run on older releases such as CS6. There is no webfont export, so projects intended specifically for webfont delivery need another tool or an additional conversion workflow.

Platforms

Fontself supports macOS, Windows, and iOS. The desktop Maker is tied to Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop CC 2025–2026, while the iPad app is standalone. Desktop and iPad workflows are distinct rather than a single cross-platform editor, and collaboration features are not provided.

Who it's for

Fontself is a strong fit for solo illustrators, hand-letterers, and brand designers who already work in Adobe apps and want OpenType layout features or color-font output. It also suits iPad creators who need installed fonts inside Procreate, Pages, Keynote, or Goodnotes. It is a weaker choice for teams requiring shared production, users on legacy Adobe versions, or anyone needing webfont export, a free entry tier, or a trial before paying.

Pros and cons

• Pros: exports standard OpenType and OpenType-SVG color fonts; Illustrator and Photoshop support different vector and bitmap color workflows; alternates, ligatures, spacing, and kerning provide real layout control; iPad editing includes Bézier and nib tools plus native font installation; updates are free after purchase.
• Cons: no free plan or trial makes evaluation a paid decision; Illustrator requires CC 2025 or newer; desktop licenses are limited to one purchaser using two devices; no webfont export; no collaboration features; privacy protection is not guaranteed against unauthorized third-party access.

Alternatives

Choose FontMaker instead if you want a freemium product with a free plan covering 26 letters and broader platform support, including Android, Linux, web, macOS, iOS, and Windows.

FontBob is the better starting point for a free plan with OTF export and production-ready font sharing, with a Pro tier at $7 a month for unlimited glyphs.

Pick PixelForge when a free, downloadable Linux or Windows editor with a free pre-release period is preferable.

Birdfont suits users who want open-source desktop software with TTF and monochrome SVG output, kerning, ligature substitutions, alternates, and SVG import.

Use Calligraphr for a browser-oriented free plan with unlimited fonts but limits of one concurrent font, 75 characters per font, two variants per character, and no ligatures.

Counterpunch is an alternative for a GPLv3-licensed editor usable without registration.

Choose Fontello when a free web service intended for generating web fonts is the priority.

FontStruct is a free online font-building tool for users comfortable with an advertising- and sponsor-funded service.

Browse the Font Design Software list for more options.

Verdict

Fontself is the right choice for an individual designer who wants to turn Adobe or iPad lettering into polished OpenType fonts, especially when color fonts and layout controls justify the purchase. Look elsewhere if you need webfont export, team collaboration, a trial, legacy Adobe compatibility, or a free plan.