What size should a pixel font be?

5×7 is the classic legible minimum and what the starting set uses. Smaller forces compromises on M, W and Q; larger gives more room but multiplies the drawing work across eighty glyphs.

How do I export my pixel font?

As a PNG sprite sheet, 16 glyphs per row in character-set order, or as JSON with the glyph data. Both are what game engines actually consume for bitmap fonts.

Why not export as a TTF?

Because converting a bitmap to an outline font throws away the pixel crispness that is the whole point. Game engines use sprite sheets for bitmap fonts precisely so the pixels stay exact.

Can I change the grid size after starting?

Yes. Existing glyphs are kept and cropped if you shrink the grid, or padded if you enlarge it, so you do not lose work by changing your mind.

Yes, in this browser as you draw. Export the sprite sheet or JSON for anything you want to keep, since browser storage is not a backup.

Pixel Font Maker

Draw a bitmap font glyph by glyph and export it as a sprite sheet or JSON.

FunRuns in your browserFree, no signup

About the Pixel Font Maker

Draw each glyph on a grid and preview any text in the font as you go. Dragging paints continuously, and the mode is set by the first pixel you touch — start on an empty cell and you fill, start on a filled one and you erase, which is how every pixel editor behaves.

The export is a sprite sheet and a JSON glyph map rather than a TTF. That is deliberate: bitmap fonts are used as sheets in game engines, and converting to a real outline font would throw away the pixel crispness that is the entire point.

A 5×7 grid is the classic size for a legible bitmap font and is what the seeded starting set uses. Smaller grids force compromises on letters like M, W and Q; larger ones give more room but take considerably longer to draw.

How it works

Pick a glyph and draw it on the grid — click or drag to fill pixels.
Preview any text in your font as you go.
Export the whole set as a PNG sprite sheet or as JSON.

Frequently asked questions

What size should a pixel font be?: 5×7 is the classic legible minimum and what the starting set uses. Smaller forces compromises on M, W and Q; larger gives more room but multiplies the drawing work across eighty glyphs.
How do I export my pixel font?: As a PNG sprite sheet, 16 glyphs per row in character-set order, or as JSON with the glyph data. Both are what game engines actually consume for bitmap fonts.
Why not export as a TTF?: Because converting a bitmap to an outline font throws away the pixel crispness that is the whole point. Game engines use sprite sheets for bitmap fonts precisely so the pixels stay exact.
Can I change the grid size after starting?: Yes. Existing glyphs are kept and cropped if you shrink the grid, or padded if you enlarge it, so you do not lose work by changing your mind.
Is my font saved?: Yes, in this browser as you draw. Export the sprite sheet or JSON for anything you want to keep, since browser storage is not a backup.

Privacy

Everything happens locally. Your files are read by your own browser, processed on your device, and never uploaded — closing the tab is all it takes to erase them.

Related Fun tools

Wheel Spinner

A spinning wheel of your own entries — for prize draws, picking and deciding.

Random Name Picker

Pick a name at random from a list — for classrooms, draws and choosing who goes first.

Random Number Generator

Draw random numbers in any range, with or without repeats — a fair prize draw.

Random Name Generator

Invent names for characters, test data and accounts — first, last or both.