Blackletter lettering
Old English Font Generator: Copy and Paste Old English Letters
Make Old English style text to copy and paste, plus a real blackletter preview and PNG. “Old English” here means blackletter lettering, not the language.
Gothic Fraktur
𝔜𝔢 𝔒𝔩𝔡𝔢 𝔗𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔫
Plain letters in Fraktur.
Bold gothic Fraktur
𝖄𝖊 𝕺𝖑𝖉𝖊 𝕿𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖓
Heavier strokes; easier to read when small.
✝ Gothic ✝
✝ 𝔜𝔢 𝔒𝔩𝔡𝔢 𝔗𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔫 ✝
Fraktur between two Latin crosses (U+271D).
† Bold gothic †
† 𝖄𝖊 𝕺𝖑𝖉𝖊 𝕿𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖓 †
Bold Fraktur between two daggers.
✠ Gothic ✠
✠ 𝔜𝔢 𝔒𝔩𝔡𝔢 𝔗𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔫 ✠
Fraktur between two Maltese crosses.
Spaced-out gothic
𝔜 𝔢 𝔒 𝔩 𝔡 𝔢 𝔗 𝔞 𝔳 𝔢 𝔯 𝔫
One space between letters, three between words.
These copy-and-paste letters are Unicode mathematical symbols, not a font. Screen readers may read them one symbol at a time, some apps and websites strip or replace them, and search engines will not match them to plain words. Do not use them for anything people must be able to search, read aloud or read with assistive technology, such as names on forms, email subjects or important instructions. For a real font, use the preview and PNG below.
Preview in a real blackletter font
This panel uses an actual font (UnifrakturMaguntia), so it is ordinary text that search, translation and screen readers handle normally. Use it for images, signs and prints.
Everything runs in your browser. What you type is not uploaded or saved. The copy-and-paste styles are Unicode symbols and the image uses a bundled blackletter font; neither needs an account.
What “Old English font” means
When people search for an Old English font they almost always want blackletter: the dark, angular lettering you see on tattoos, pub signs and certificates. It has nothing to do with how the Anglo-Saxons spoke. Wikipedia notes that blackletter is sometimes called Old English lettering but is not to be confused with the Old English language.
This page writes your words in that lettering. It does not translate them. If you want modern English turned into words in the Old English language, an Old English translator does that job.
Choose the style that fits
Gothic Fraktur is the classic outline. Bold Fraktur has more weight and holds up better in small text. The cross and dagger versions frame a short title or name. For a sign, a poster or a tattoo reference, use the real-font preview and PNG rather than pasted symbols, and have anything permanent checked by a professional.
Common questions
Is this the Old English language?
No. “Old English font” is a popular name for blackletter lettering. The Old English language is a different thing, and this page only changes how your own words look.
Can I use it as a tattoo font?
Use the PNG as a rough reference only. Letter shapes differ between fonts, and a tattoo artist should draw and check the final design with you.
Why do some letters look different on my phone?
Copy-and-paste letters are Unicode symbols drawn by your device’s own font. The PNG always uses the bundled blackletter font.
The studio notebook
A useful place to begin.
Clear steps, considered details, and ideas you can put to use.
What Is Blackletter? Textura, Rotunda, Schwabacher and Fraktur Explained
A plain guide to blackletter lettering: the main families, how the Gutenberg Bible used one, and where gothic type still shows up today.
Old English Font vs. the Old English Language: Why the Name Is Misleading
The font called Old English is really blackletter, a style that arrived centuries after the language. Here is what each term actually means.
How Copy-and-Paste Gothic Text Works (and Where It Fails)
Gothic letters you can paste are Unicode math symbols, not a font. Learn how they work, why five capitals come from another block, and where they break.
How to Read Fraktur: Letter Shapes, the Long S and Ligatures
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Gothic Lettering for Tattoos, Signs and Logos: Readability Checklist
Practical advice for using blackletter in a sign, logo or lettering design: avoid all caps, mind the spacing, check spelling, and print a stencil.
How to Write Blackletter by Hand: Pen, Angle, Nib Widths and Practice
A starter guide to hand-lettered blackletter: why a broad-edge pen matters, how to hold it at an angle, measure height in nib widths and practice.