ASL Font: Type using handshapes:"Gallaudet TrueType" Fingerspelling Font

► Download "Gallaudet TrueType" font (gallaudet.ttf) 

The Gallaudet TrueType  font allows you to use your keyboard to type messages that appear as fingerspelling on your computer screen and that you can print out.  Note: If you want to send fingerspelled messages to your friend then your friend has to have the Gallaudet font installed on their machine too in order for the message to show up as fingerspelling. The font may be used for learning sign language, correspondence using sign language, or whatever purpose you dream up.

The "Gallaudet Font" comes to you from Insect Bytes and is copyright (c) 1991 by David Rakowski. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.  If you like and/or use this font, please make a substantial contribution to the charity of your choice. (For example, ASL University.)  

(That button takes you to the ASL University donation page.)


Here is a sample of what the letters look like:


 

   ► Download the font

Installation Instructions:

For Windows 10:
1 - Click on Download the Font link.​
2 - You will be asked what you want to do with the download.​
3 - Click Open.​
4 - The font will be displayed in variety of sizes.​
5 - Click Install.
If you have any problems, check to make sure you are logged on as an administrator and/or if it asks for administrator permission grant it.  Also, try restarting your device.

(For more installation instructions, see below)
 

Notes: 
 

Instructions for older Windows Operating systems:

To manually install or re-install a font:
1. Click the "Window" key and hold it down while you click the "R" key -- which should open up a "run" dialog window.
2. Type %windir%\fonts, and then click OK.
3. On the File menu, click Install New Font.  If you do not see the "install new font" option...check to see if you are logged on with "administrative privileges."
4. In the Drives box, click the drive that has the floppy or CD-ROM that contains the fonts you want to add. If you are installing fonts from a floppy disk, this is typically drive A or drive B. If you are installing the fonts from a compact disc, your CD-ROM drive is typically drive D. Double-click the folder that contains the fonts.
5. Click the font you want to add. To select more than one font at a time, press and hold down the CTRL key while you click each font.
6. Click to select the Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder check box. The Windows\Fonts folder is where the fonts that are included with Windows are stored.
7. Click OK.
 

Steve @tstar.net writes:
Dear Dr. Bill,
I was trying to download this file but instead of download directions, I was shown the file itself.  How can I download it?
- Steve

Steve,
Try this:
Right click on the download font link. (Not Left click)
Then when you see the menu that appears, click on "Save Target As"
Then when you get a box asking you where you want to save it and what you want to call it...save it to your c:\windows\fonts directory.
Then reboot your computer and open up your word processor. It should show up in your list of available fonts in your word processor.
- Dr. Bill

Dr Bill,
Thanks for the directions,
I had been left-clicking instead of right and such was my trouble. No more. Downloaded the file and have installed it in the 'fonts' section of Windows. Your directions were perfect.
Thanks,
- Steve

In a message dated (a frigging long time ago) 8:03:05 AM Pacific Daylight Time, a student  writes:

Good Morning!
My name is Willie Jackie Mitchell, am Deaf Person. I think it is great ASL University...
I have been looking for ABC's Fingerspelling CD-ROM... For example, I type words said, "Rainbow" and it fingerspell out of "Rainbow" on the paper, Do you understand what I am try explain? Do you have ABC's Fingerspelling? I would like to have CD-ROM because CD-ROM is much easier to install better than download the file of ABC's Fingerspelling...
Let me know about ABC's Fingerspelling CD-ROM. 
Thank you for your time and Have a nice day.
Willie Mitchell
 

Willie,
I do understand what you are asking but I don't know where you'd get one of those CDs. I'm pretty sure they are out of publication (not being made any more). 

If you want to try downloading the font, here are some suggestions:

Download the file: gallaudet.ttf and save it somewhere that you can find it again. 
Then click "Start", "Settings", "Control Panel". Then double click fonts. From the menu, click File, Install New Font. 
The "Add Fonts" dialog box appears. You'll need to navigate to and select the gallaudet.ttf file. 
After which I suggest you restart your computer.
Then go to your word processing program and select the gallaudet font. Begin typing and it should look like little fingerspelling handshapes. I suggest making the font size 36 or bigger so you can see the handshapes clearly.
- Dr. Bill
 

In a message dated (a long time ago) 8:05:36 PM Central Standard Time, a student writes:

"Ok.... I tried to download the fonts and I couldn't get it to open once I downloaded it. Any suggestions?"

Response:  Try downloading the file again, and this time make a note of the location it is downloading to.  The file you downloaded then needs to be put into your operating system's FONTS folder. You can do a search for that folder using your computer's search function. Or go to your run line and type the word "fonts" and click okay.  Open up your FONTS folder. Make sure you have placed the gallaudet file into the folder and can see it. Then click on the "FILE" menu and look for an "Install New Font..." menu choice. Click on that and then navigate to the font file you want to install. Then double click that file.
Sometimes you get a message stating that the file has "already been installed." That's okay, go through the whole install process anyway to make sure the file gets registered in your operating system the right way.
 

A student says:   When I start the following "Start", Settings, Control Panel and then double click on fonts, The Install new font doesn't come up. I'll keep trying though.

Dr. Bill's response:  You are almost there.  Check to make sure you are logged in as an administrator or else you might not have permission to install the font and your computer might not show the font installation option to you. 
Open/Click "Start", "Settings", "Control Panel". Then double click fonts. THEN, from the menu selections at the top of the window, click File, Install New Font.
The "Add Fonts" dialog box appears. You'll need to navigate to and select the gallaudet file.
Then go to your word processing program and select the gallaudet font.  You may need to shut down and restart before it shows up as a font choice in your word processing program's list of fonts.

In a message dated (a long time ago) 5:09:09 PM Central Daylight Time, kcdrummond@_____.com writes:

Dear Dr. Bill:
I recently cruised your site and found mention of the gallaudet font. I downloaded that font to my font folders and all works well inside of my "MS Works" word processor. However, when I select this text to copy to emails it automatically changes to an English font. Is there anyway I can keep that gallaudet font to send in e mails?
Thanks
Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,
This has to do with the settings in your email program. Most email programs have a default setting that determines what font is displayed.  After installing the fingerspelling font, you can go to your emails preferences or settings menu and select "gallaudet."  I'm sending this reply in gallaudet type font. I'm using AOL and in my email program it looks like handshapes. I did have to set the font from within the email program itself. I also had to enlarge the size to make it big enough to read. So you might want to check to see if your email program has a way to choose the font. Whomever receives your message will only see the fingerspelling if they too have downloaded the font. The other person has to have the font installed and selected or the font will just change back to their default font.   They may also have to adjust their emails preferences to display messages using that font.
Dr. Bill
[Note:  The above text was changed back to regular font for this web page.]

In a message dated 9/5/2003 7:44:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Vicki writes:
<<I still have some trouble getting ASL fingerspelling fonts set up in my e-mail or word processing so I could write my own homework for my class or to the loved one. >>

Vicki,
About the emailing of ASL fonts: It won't work unless the other person has that same font installed on their system. If you have it installed it will look right on your screen when you click the send button, but not show up in the receivers email because THEIR system doesn't have the font installed and selected as a default font for incoming email messages--it will be converted to their normal font).

Also, some people who are using the "Windows ME" operating system can't find their font folder that should be in their C:\windows\ file. Or if it is, they don't see an "Install New Font" choice under the "File" menu. If that is your situation and you are using a Microsoft Windows operating system, click the "START" button. Then click "RUN." In the RUN dialog box, type: Attrib +S C:\Windows\Fonts and then click OK. You might need to restart your computer then check to see if the Fonts folder or Install New Font option appears.

An other option for additional help on installing the ASL font is to take advantage of your computer's help menus. Look for a "Help" or "Help and Support" button in your "Start" menu.

Dr. Bill

Instructions for installing this font to Macs:

Katie (who uses a Mac) writes:
In a message dated 4/20/2012 5:06:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, kkutch87 writes:

I got it to work on my computer!!
What I did was download the file and it automatically goes into your "font book". From there I had different sub sections of fonts like 'English', 'Fun', 'Web' etc, so from there in order to make the Gallaudet font appear on a Word doc, I had to drag it over to one of those sub sections (I put mine in the fun section) and from there it showed up on the list of fonts when in Word!

Thank you Dr. Vicars for the hook up! :)
- Katie

Kyle Richtig sent me the following instructions for installing the Gallaudet truetype font to Apple computers:

1. Download the font by using the Mac Version of right click. (Hold down ctrl and click so the menu comes up).
2. Choose Download Link to Disk.
3. Drag this file (GALLAUDET.ttf) from the saved location to the Fonts Folder (Home>Library>Fonts).
4. If this did not install the font, you may have to double click the file once it is in your Font Folder. This will automatically install it in your Font Book.