I’ve got an art project I’m working on (a gift, really) and I need to do some text so that it looks like Shakespeare wrote it. I could probably go with any generic script-like font, but I’m geeky like that, I want to know that it looks like Shakespeare’s script, even if I’m the only one that recognizes it :).
I’d like to pretend that I have the time to learn enough calligraphy and get enough samples to fake it myself, but that’s not gonna happen. So now I’m on the hunt for a font I can pop into Microsoft Word or something and get something close. Anybody know of such a font that can save me all that hunting time? Thanks!
http://www.waldenfont.com/product.asp?productID=3
This site above has a package of 9 historical fonts including one replicating Shakespeare’s hand, for $40. Looks pretty nice!
It's a bit ridiculous to leave a comment on a five-year-old post, but nevertheless: JaneFan's recommendation is thoughtful, but unfortunately Walden's claim that their William Shakespeare typeface is "inspired by the hand of our great bard" is a stretch unless it's a loose resemblance. Shakespeare's surviving signatures show that he wrote in the secretary hand style, while the Walden script typeface is an italic hand — the latter was beginning to replace the former at the time, but while Elizabeth I wrote in italic, Will wrote in the older style. Shakespare is well known for using the italic long s in his signature, but the other letters are all secretary. The best secretary hand available is Elizabethan from P22.
No worries, Reed, I'm watching :). Thanks for the link!
I’m doing a Shakespearean presentation on his handwriting/he font he wrote in so where would you suggest I get information about this secretary font?
Interesting question – of course the font that was used in the quartos and folios was not at all his handwriting. Since we don’t really have anything in his handwriting other than his signatures I’m not sure how much you’ll be able to find.
If you want samples of “secretary hand” in general you should check out “Shakespeare’s World”, a massive collection of documents from the same time period.
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/shakespeares-world
I feel obligated to mention Hand D in Sir Thomas More. Never forget Hand D in Sir Thomas More!
kj
The genuine Shakespeare font based on the handwritten manuscript of the classic play Sir Thomas More https://flagon.digital/shakespeare-william-play-digital-font-125