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Hadwriting simulation for offline marketing?

by FlamingWolf
4 replies
I love offline marketing, in particular, marketing with postcards and old fashioned letters.

So far I've done everything by hand ( writing every single letter and postcard I send ), because it gives a personal touch and increases the conversions. However, this takes time. Also, my handwriting terrible. So, at first I was thinking to outsource the letter-writing part of the business, to scale up.

But then I thought: maybe there is a way to simulate handwriting with my PC. And, online, I found this:


( llok at the a, t and f - they are different to each other. And yes, this is a terrible scan, but the original, I think, looked genuinely like a handwritten paper ).

Reading here and there I found out that, with InDesign, you can emulate handwriting using some specific OpenType fonts.

And now my question: do you know of a font or 2 that look good ( and not childish ) but, at the same time, allow me to emulate handwriting?

I searched online but I found only one, and it has been created by watching a 14 years old writing style. Not exactly what I'm searching for.
#hadwriting #marketing #offline #simulation
  • Profile picture of the author shimony
    That's probably the best simulated handwriting I've seen. The proof however is how it looks in real life.

    You seem to have left out the link for the InDesign reference, but I do remember seeing some Applescript that varied the baseline offsets of characters and stretched each one a little.

    I've played in Illustrator too with the envelope warp tool, but decided that unless it was just about totally undetectable from real handwriting, it would come across as insincere. Inkjet printer and blue ink would be a must.

    There are some fonts that have multiple versions of characters (I tend to recall OpenType is the only standard that supports it?), but I doubt InDesign could automatically vary them.

    Can't help you with font choice - I was mainly looking at non-cursive fonts, but I do think a cursive, or script font would be the best. It's just hard for them to connect properly. You'd have to convert the font to outlines and then envelope warp so all the letters weren't sitting on a flat baseline.
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  • Profile picture of the author shimony
    Also worth mentioning vLetter if you haven't seen that.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Create Realistic Handwritten Letters on Yellow Pad PaperMike Capuzzi

    Here is a related idea that I liked and felt you all would enjoy.
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    Aaron Doud - Sales & Success
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  • Profile picture of the author NewParadigm
    My Dad got a form letter about buying some of his real estate, he showed me the hand written letter on yellow pad and I almost believed it for a couple seconds. It was pretty good. but when people to find out its generated, I'd think most would feel kinda scammed.

    I think it's definitely helpful in addressing a mass mailing on envelopes to increase open rate for sure.
    Signature

    In a moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

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