Does anyone know a place/website where I can create a font for free? I want to create a font from a friend's handwriting and all the places that I've tried want me to pay to ue the font. If you know of anything, please let me know.

Type light is free.

have a look to the tools section, some are listed : http://www.dafont.com/soft.php#3
and the one test_record is talking meust be this one : http://cr8.netfirms.com/typelight.html
and the only site i know that do it for you is http://www.yourfonts.com/ but it's not free (~10 bucks)
edit: i found one that charges 7,29€ : http://www.quantumenterprises.co.uk/handwritingfonts/

Good thinking, make it yourself.

Have a look at High-Logic. Scanahand maybe your solution for making a handwriting font. It will stop after the trial period but as you want only one that should not be a problem. Not happy with the result? Give Font Creator a try. A bit more complex but with much better results. Also here, the trial period is long enough.

There is one risk involved, having made one font may quickly lead you to want to make more ... and more ... and more ...

koeiekat owns stock in High-Logic, which is why he's always shilling their software

Can't blame you for thinking that Bob, wish it was true.

There is little doubt that FontLab is a more professional program for making fonts than Font Creator. But it comes at a prize and there is no trial. Thus, if someone wants to make just one, two, three fonts without having to buy the software needed there is but one solution: the High-Logic fully functional trials.

The demo versions of FontLab products are somewhat less user friendly. They distort every other glyph.

I hate FontLab and FontCreator newer. I prefer Inkscape and FontForge.

I use FontLab so that I can make complex kerning pairs. I think FontLab is the only font creator program that currently allows you to save as an .otf as well (could be wrong about that).

-- J

True, Font Creator does not allow to save as OTF. So if you want to make a font with a lot of alternatives and ligatures Font Creator is not for you. The question is, why make those fonts with a lot of alternatives and ligatures when there are only 3, 4 programs that can actually use those features?
Or are you living in the same country as I do where every 9 years old has the complete professional Adobe suite on it's PC - be it a cracked copy?

I try to make professional fonts for professional people.

You need not apply koelekat.

True for you - and others - Jason. But maybe not for Margo who was asking for a freebee. FontLab is everything great ... but not exactly a freebee. Thus her best option for just one font was and still is Font Creator's trial.

Agreed, I was merely jumping in on where the conversation had gone to, which was you and a few others talking about FontLab for some reason.

Jason, FontLab is a company, not a piece of software. when you mention FontLab, I think you mean Studio5, (or Studio4). I use ScanFont 3.13, which is also from FontLab, but it is a very different app. FontLab also makes BifFonter, (which I wouldn't recommend to anyone), and the New ScanFont5, which is a plug-in for Studio5. The .vfb project files from ScanFont can be imported into Studio5.

And you forget Fontographer (formerly a macromedia software) wich is "cheaper" than fontlab (399$ is not what i call cheap but in regards of the 649$ of Studio5...) but still a really good tool.
Anyway, to forge your hand to type creation pick the Font Creator's trial, it's a good compromise.

Yeah, I started out using Fontographer, but fell in love with FontLab. I just call it FontLab, because I'm pretty sure everyone else in this thread was already doing the same.

I'm still on FontLab 4.1 Saving up to buy Studio 5+

-- J

Made a comment yesterday that doesn't seem to have made it through the maintenance. If anyone is still wondering, you can have a font made easily from your handwriting for free at www.FontPanda.com and they'll add it to their site for others to enjoy too (for free, of course). So it's not great if you want to keep your font to yourself but if you're just wanting to experiment without shelling out any cash, it's a good option.

@fontpanda, I like this changed post much better than yesterday's one. Thanks .

@koeiekat, I think you were right. The comment needed some more details about FontPanda.com. Thanks for your feedback though. Also not sure why the FAQ wasn't working for you cause it's been fine for me. Anyway, cheers!

Is fontstruct.com illegal?
Why is no one mentioning it?
If it is illegal, do tell me.
I was thinking of recommending it to someone.