Genius idea turns Albert Einstein's handwriting into a font

Soon, you'll be able to write like a genius without actually being one.

Typographer Harald Geisler from Frankfurt, Germany wants to turn Albert Einstein's handwriting into a font that you can use in your digital writing.

The idea behind the project, aside from the german-born physicist's exceptionally beautiful handwriting, is to capture a piece of Einstein's genius in your own writing.

 

 

"I like to imagine that when one uses Einstein's handwriting as a font that a spark of his genius potentially could reflect in one's own writing," Geisler said on his Kickstarter page. The money from the crowdfunding project will be used to fund a design extension, final release and share the project with a mass audience.

Geisler, who has been working on the project since 2009 with Elizabeth Waterhouse, was inspired by a simple handwritten note on a napkin at a coffeeshop. After the idea sprung to life, the concept of creating a font from the handwriting of innovative thinkers came next.

To accomplish the task at hand, Geisler had to look through hundreds of pages of Einstein's writings. He then creates a digital copy of each letter using the original movement path which simulates the ink flow on paper.

However, handwriting is much different than text because each letter can be written differently, depending on the letter that follows or precedes it. To fix this issue, Geisler creates multiple versions of each letter, which shift as you continue to type, depending on the new letter.

 

 

Although Geisler has already created at least one version of each letter, the Kickstarter would allow him to create multiple versions, allowing the font to look more accurate and work seamlessly.

Backing starts at $15 for the most basic package, which will allow you to use the font at home on PC, Linux, Mac and iOS, but the project offers multiple rewards for additional money, which feature a variety of different fonts, educational and commercial licenses, and more.

The project's goal is $15,000, but it has already raised more than $9,600 at the time of writing, with an additional 38 days to go.