Block Letters
Print block letters for colouring, cutting out, banners and bulletin boards. Type a word or a name, or print the whole alphabet with lower case and numbers. Choose 3D block letters with a shadow, outline block letters to colour in, or plain solid ones, in one of our 3 block alphabets (Block, Heavy block, Tall block). Set the exact letter height in inches or centimetres on US Letter or A4. Want to learn to draw block letters? Tick the practice grid to see the centre line each letter is built on. Download a PDF, 300 DPI PNGs or an SVG. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Print at 100% (Actual size). Colour the letters in, or cut them out for a banner or a bulletin board. The practice grid shows the centre line each letter is built on.
Letters
Style
Size
Runs in your browser with our own code: nothing you type is uploaded or saved. The block alphabets are our own drawings, not a font. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to print block letters
- Choose My own word and type it, or pick a letter set.
- Pick an alphabet and a look: 3D block, outline block or plain block.
- Set the letter height in inches or cm, the paper and the page direction.
- Tick the practice grid if you want to learn how the letters are drawn.
- Download the PDF and print at 100% (Actual size).
What you can use it for
- Colouring pages and classroom alphabet charts
- Bulletin board and display letters
- Banners and posters for a party or a team
- Posters and signs with a bold 3D look
- Learning to draw block letters by hand
- Name tags, door signs and scrapbook titles
The 3 block alphabets
| Alphabet | Stroke (share of height) | Width of M | Holes in B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block | 23% | 1.03 × the height | 2 |
| Heavy block | 25% | 1.15 × the height | 2 |
| Tall block | 21% | 0.80 × the height | 2 |
Each alphabet comes in three looks: 3D block (front face and shadow), outline block (a clean line to colour or cut) and plain block (solid). All are our own drawings: a centre line drawn with a square pen, so tops are flat and ends are square.
Sizes on US Letter
| Letter height | A to Z in 3D | A to Z in outline |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 in (12.7 mm) | up to 26 per page, 1 page | up to 26 per page, 1 page |
| 1 in (25.4 mm) | up to 26 per page, 1 page | up to 26 per page, 1 page |
| 2 in (50.8 mm) | up to 10 per page, 3 pages | up to 10 per page, 3 pages |
| 3 in (76.2 mm) | up to 5 per page, 7 pages | up to 5 per page, 7 pages |
| 4 in (101.6 mm) | up to 2 per page, 25 pages | up to 4 per page, 12 pages |
| Paper | Largest one-per-page 3D height, portrait | Landscape |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 6 in | 6.5 in |
| A4 | 5.875 in | 6.25 in |
Every page has a 1 in (or 2 cm) check square to confirm the print is at 100%. For a banner across many sheets, try the Banner Maker; for one poster over several sheets, the Poster Tiler.
Learn to draw block letters
| Step | What to draw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Light guide lines: the top and bottom of the capitals (the grid shows them in blue) |
| 2 | The letter as one thin line, the centre line (dashed pink on the grid) |
| 3 | A box outline the same distance out all round: straight sides, square ends |
| 4 | For 3D: from each outer corner, a short line down and to the right, then join them |
| 5 | Rub out the guides and the centre line, then colour or shade |
Practise with the grid on, then try freehand on Graph Paper. For joined-up lettering, see the Calligraphy Practice Sheets.
What prints
| Download | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Every page at real size: letters, shadows, optional practice grid, check square and height note | |
| PNG 300 DPI | One picture per page (a ZIP when there are several) |
| SVG | The page on screen at real size, with letters, shadows and guides in separate groups |
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Block letters to print, colour or cut | Block Letters (this page) |
| Street-style lettering as a picture | Graffiti Generator |
| Bubble-style text to paste into a post | Bubble Text Generator |
| A full poster with words and pictures | Poster Maker |
Also handy: the Graffiti Generator, the Word Art Generator and the Bunting Template.
More free tools
Lettering, banners and posters?
Lettering and print tools that run privately in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
What are block letters?
Thick, plain capital letters with straight sides and square ends, all the same height, like letters cut from blocks. In handwriting, writing in block letters means printing in separate capitals. For drawing and crafts it usually means chunky outline letters, often with a 3D shadow.
How do I draw block letters?
Write the letter as a single line (the centre line), then draw a box-shaped outline the same distance out on every side: straight along each stroke, square at the ends and the corners. For a 3D look, copy each corner a little down and to the right, join the corners and shade the new sides. The practice grid shows the centre line inside every letter.
How do I make 3D block letters?
Choose 3D block. The shadow is the letter swept a tenth of its stroke-drawing size down and to the right, drawn in grey under a white front face, so you can colour the front and the sides in different shades.
How is the letter height measured?
From the top to the bottom of a capital letter (cap height). Numbers are the same height; tails of g, j, p, q and y go below, and the 3D shadow adds a little below and to the right. Our tests measure every capital in the PDF to within 0.2 mm.
How big can I print them?
One 3D capital per page fits up to 6 in on US Letter portrait (6.5 in landscape) and 5.875 in on A4 portrait. Go over and the page tells you the largest height that fits.
Which alphabet should I choose?
Block is the everyday choice. Heavy block has thicker strokes for posters you read from across a room. Tall block is narrow, so long words fit on one line.
Are these a font?
No. They are our own letter drawings, printed as finished pages. Nothing to install.
Which characters are included?
A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9 and . , ! ? – ’ & :. The page names any character it cannot draw.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The letters are drawn by JavaScript in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved when you close the page.