How do you add 'handwriting' text on a web page ?

[Harvey Segal]

Graphics is not my strong point so bear with me.

I can use MS Paint to create an image with handwritten text
but I'm not sure how (or of it is possible) to crop the
graphic.

If not possible can you suggest a PC based tool
which is
- free
- simple to use

which can create and crop text images.

Also what is a good handwriting font to use ?

Thanks
Harvey

[Frank Donovan]

Harvey

Here are some handwriting fonts:

Free Handwriting Fonts Gallery



Frank

[Gene Pimentel]

Photoshop-express...

https://www.photoshop.com/express/landing.html

[Peter Bestel]

Harvey

For reasons that I mentioned in a previous thread,

Can your handwriting be losing you $$$$$ ?

It's worth spending time getting this right.

A font that's a good free one (IMO) is 'FG Cheryl', from the page Frank said to visit.

Free Handwriting Fonts Gallery

It's the one with the quote from Katherine Hepburn

Peter

[Gene Pimentel]

Thanks for that link Peter! Wow, really cool handwriting fonts.

[Frank Donovan]

Peter

Yes, I like the font with the Katherine Hepburn quote too.

Although it doesn't correct her spelling


Frank

[lgibbon]

Originally Posted by Peter Bestel

Harvey

For reasons that I mentioned in a previous thread,

Can your handwriting be losing you $$$$$ ?

It's worth spending time getting this right.

A font that's a good free one (IMO) is 'FG Cheryl', from the page Frank said to visit.

Free Handwriting Fonts Gallery

It's the one with the quote from Katherine Hepburn

Peter

I was only thinking about this the other day.
I've never seen a salespage completely done
in handwriting.
Wonder what the response would be like?
Might be worth testing.
It wouldn't want to be in my handwriting though.

[Peter Bestel]

Originally Posted by Frank Donovan

Peter

Yes, I like the font with the Katherine Hepburn quote too.

Although it doesn't correct her spelling


Frank

Shows you how gullible I am, I just went to check it!!

It's been a long day!

Peter

[Peter Bestel]

Originally Posted by lgibbon

I was only thinking about this the other day.
I've never seen a salespage completely done
in handwriting.
Wonder what the response would be like?
Might be worth testing.
It wouldn't want to be in my handwriting though.

Les, that would be interesting - I might test it. I think you'd actually have to hand write it though as a PC font will appear unnatural with such a large amount of text.

Mmm! I'll think about that one.

Peter

[Harvey Segal]

Originally Posted by Peter Bestel

Harvey

For reasons that I mentioned in a previous thread,

Can your handwriting be losing you $$$$$ ?

It's worth spending time getting this right.

A font that's a good free one (IMO) is 'FG Cheryl', from the page Frank said to visit.

Free Handwriting Fonts Gallery

It's the one with the quote from Katherine Hepburn

Peter

Peter,

Yes - it was your thread which initiated this request.

The 'FG Cheryl' font looks good (I just wanted to
see what others are around) but my main question now
is how to crop graphics

Originally Posted by Gene Pimentel

Photoshop-express...

https://www.photoshop.com/express/landing.html

Gene, that is an online tool, I'd prefer a PC based
one if possible

Harvey

[Gene Pimentel]

Originally Posted by Harvey.Segal

Gene, that is an online tool, I'd prefer a PC based
one if possible

Harvey

Have you seen or tried GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program ?

[Neil Morgan]

Hi Harvey

MS-Paint has a sort-of crop, in that you can select a portion of an image and save it as a separate file.

1. Select the area you want to keep.

2. Use Edit > Copy To... and enter a filename.

Job done.

Cheers,

Neil

[Frank Donovan]

Peter

It wasn't a trick - "....men and women suite each other" ?

As far as a whole sales page in handwriting goes, it may be a bit much.

Although I've seen pages where a handwriting script was used throughout the page, but in the margin and next to certain sentences, to emphasise a point.

That was effective.


Frank

[lgibbon]

Originally Posted by Peter Bestel

Les, that would be interesting - I might test it. I think you'd actually have to hand write it though as a PC font will appear unnatural with such a large amount of text.

Mmm! I'll think about that one.

Peter

I was thinking the same Peter.
We'll probably wake up tomorrow and everyone will have
a handwritten website in their sig file.

[Peter Bestel]

Originally Posted by Frank Donovan

Peter

It wasn't a trick - "....men and women suite each other" ?

See, it's been a long day.

Peter

[Steven Wagenheim]

I use these 2 sites

Free Handwriting Font Demos - Real Cursive Handwriting Fonts - vLetter.com

GIFWorks.com! Free Online GIF Tools

It's been a while since I've done this (only need it once for your sig)
but I think these are the settings I use:

Loopy
Blue
48
None
Extra Wide
Lots
Normal
48

Of course you can experiment to get the style you want.

[Gene Pimentel]

I love that vletter.com site. Thanks Steven.

[Harvey Segal]

Originally Posted by Neil Morgan

Hi Harvey

MS-Paint has a sort-of crop, in that you can select a portion of an image and save it as a separate file.

1. Select the area you want to keep.

2. Use Edit > Copy To... and enter a filename.

Job done.

Cheers,

Neil

Neil

That works fine.

Thanks
Harvey

[John M Kane]

search for "copy scribbles" by neil harvey
might be your solution

[Fender85]

I really enjoy dafont.com They've got a whole section of "handwritten" fonts, plus I use them for like everything else.

[Danielle_B]

As a design person under normal circumstances, I've used Fontifier.

It's quite cool. Allows you to turn your handwriting style into a usable font, including sigs, etc.

You need access to a scanner though. You have to download a template, put all your letters/text/sigs in and then scan it back into the pc. They do the work from there, although on site after you upload the file.


A note to the first-timers for sig apps though: You may not want to use your REAL sig, cuz it's then available for thievery from any bored hacker. Just a PSA.


Cheers,

~D.

[Kevin Riley]

To me, all that font-generated "handwriting" looks like just that -- a bunch of font. For short blocks of handwritten text, notes on your site, or a signature, I like to handwrite on a very clean sheet of white paper, scan it into my computer, and use the Image Adjustments in Photoshop to make the background pure white.

There's a big difference in real hand writing.

[Danielle_B]

I have to agree Kevin.

On my TurtleBay site, I use my own sig done in just that fashion.

Tho, I don't use a scanner; I just photo'd it with my snazzy macro lens camera and threw it up in Photoshop. Same effect.

Plus I saved the ps file extension, so I can alter the image with colors and what not when I need to.

~D.

[Peter Bestel]

Originally Posted by Kevin Riley

To me, all that font-generated "handwriting" looks like just that -- a bunch of font. For short blocks of handwritten text, notes on your site, or a signature, I like to handwrite on a very clean sheet of white paper, scan it into my computer, and use the Image Adjustments in Photoshop to make the background pure white.

There's a big difference in real hand writing.

Kevin, I agree, that's the way I produce my hand written notes too. But some people's handwriting is, by their own admission, atrocious, so a handwriting font is one of the easiest alternatives. I think it's OK for short, one or two word messages, but for anything longer a genuine hand written message can't be beat.

Peter

[Asher]

Originally Posted by Kevin Riley

To me, all that font-generated "handwriting" looks like just that -- a bunch of font. For short blocks of handwritten text, notes on your site, or a signature, I like to handwrite on a very clean sheet of white paper, scan it into my computer, and use the Image Adjustments in Photoshop to make the background pure white.

There's a big difference in real hand writing.

I totally agree with you there, Kevin. Handwriting fonts can be
recognised after a couple of sentences because of the consistency.

And since humans are creatures of error, that consistency might kill
that "handwriting" site concept.

Asher

[Harvey Segal]

Originally Posted by war28476

search for "copy scribbles" by neil harvey
might be your solution

I was actually looking to create text handwriting (not
use existing graphics). Having said that 'copy scribbles' looks good
and I have now purchased it. Thanks !

Thanks to others for suggestions on fonts.

Harvey

[WebSlicers]

Originally Posted by lgibbon

I was only thinking about this the other day.
I've never seen a salespage completely done
in handwriting.
Wonder what the response would be like?
Might be worth testing.
It wouldn't want to be in my handwriting though.

well, here's a sample of a sales page that is totally out of the ordinary:
YoureAPoorLoser.com - The Official Website

tell me what you think. is it effective or not?

[Neil Morgan]

tell me what you think. is it effective or not?

It's different, that's for sure and somewhat effective on the novelty factor level.

It takes the "rich jerk" approach to selling which is difficult to pull off. It works for some people, I guess.

Not me though.

Cheers,

Neil

[lgibbon]

Originally Posted by WebSlicers

well, here's a sample of a sales page that is totally out of the ordinary:
YoureAPoorLoser.com - The Official Website

tell me what you think. is it effective or not?

Lol, not quite what I had in mind.
I see he's actually got a payment button set up.
Wonder if anyones been silly enough.

[rapidscc]

Hahaha that anti-poor program gave me quite a kick...

Here I am confused, not knowing what to do (well, sometimes anyway) and here comes an ugly site with a PAYPAL button asking people to shell out $7 dollars. He even got an affiliate sign-up link!

Guys, if you want to see real handwriting you better see the link above

~rapidscc

[Allen Graves]

Here's the cheap way...

Set your mouse speed to SLOW (from control panel)
Open MS Paint (or similar).
Start writing with your mouse and eventually you'll get a pretty good one.

With the mouse speed slower than normal, its a lot easier!

If you have an image editing program, try it from there, then you can smooth it and enlarge the pen size as well.

Respectfully,

[WebSlicers]

Originally Posted by Allen Graves

Here's the cheap way...

Set your mouse speed to SLOW (from control panel)
Open MS Paint (or similar).
Start writing with your mouse and eventually you'll get a pretty good one.

With the mouse speed slower than normal, its a lot easier!

If you have an image editing program, try it from there, then you can smooth it and enlarge the pen size as well.

Respectfully,

nice tip! now i can work on my pictures that i would like to put a quote on.

[WebSlicers]

Originally Posted by lgibbon

Lol, not quite what I had in mind.
I see he's actually got a payment button set up.
Wonder if anyones been silly enough.

i've been wondering the same thing. but i'm more concerned on how he did manage to get a payment button from paypal.

[Tuzic]

hi,

thanks for this post & replies since i have always wanted to know the same thing!

[rapidscc]

Hi Y'all

Remember the ugly written website. I happened to bump into another site that has almost the same "tone" - arrogance in the message and carries the same pricing technique - 197 cross 49.95 cross and then down toi think 7 dollars? But this site I visited is a part of a huge network of sites owned by a millonaire.

Anyway, we are all laughing earlier but I realized that the "butt ugly" website is actually or can actually be a creative idea of the same guy who's already made something of himself.

I think he's even a warrior though I have no proof so I will not mention the nick. The case is that he's made millions already and running a successful web enterprise with multiple sites..the not so beautiful website might really be a selling strategy though I'm not so sure how much it made the guy. As you can see there is even a "Site for sale" on the bottom of the ugly site and a proper navigation.

The very striking similarity that I noticed really is the tone of the content. How the message was delivered although the looks vary by a long mile.

If the guy who owns the butt ugly site also owns the one I just recently visited, well he's made millions..

Maybe next time I won't be so judgemental.

~RapidScc

[onlinemarketer]

hey you could use even a word for that, just look for a handwriting font that looks close to a real handwriting, there are a lot in the net

[Simon Nicholls]

Don't think it's been mentioned, but GIMP is a decent free progam available for both Mac and PC. Although nothing beats Photoshop!

[Bon508]

Handwriting fonts can be recognised after a couple of sentences because of the consistency.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, is it? Doesn't it depend on the purpose of using the handwriting font?

If the purpose is to break up the text with visual differences or draw attention to specific areas of copy -- much like how bold, CAPS, different colored text, highlighting, etc., are used -- I don't think it matters that people can figure out it's a font and not really your handwriting.

The key is that people must be able to read it.

That's why I would never use my own handwriting. It sucks. That's why I learned to type in the first place!

Interesting thread!

[richdirtygirl]

Arrogance always heat up emotions... and for 7 bucks you just hit the button to see.

$7 is a magic number... Setup a couple memberships in older days for that money a month... they gave me a nice steady income and sold them very good.

RDG