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About this tool
Turn any name into a printable fingerspelling strip using the one-handed ASL manual alphabet, with a handshape diagram and description per letter.
Name to Fingerspelling Graphic converts a typed name into a letter-by-letter strip in the one-handed American Sign Language manual alphabet, showing a schematic handshape, the palm direction and a written description for each letter. Twenty-four of the 26 ASL letters are static handshapes; only J and Z involve movement, and those are flagged separately. It is built for classroom name cards, introductions and personal practice rather than as a substitute for learning from a Deaf teacher.
Open Name to Fingerspelling Graphic on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Add your input to the workspace.
Adjust the options until the result looks right.
Copy or download the output and put it to work.
A flat diagram cannot show depth, so each letter carries wording that names finger, thumb and palm position.
J and Z are the only ASL letters that travel through the air, and the strip says exactly what to trace.
The strip prints as a single sheet, so it works as a classroom card without any extra software.
It uses the one-handed American Sign Language manual alphabet, produced with the dominant hand only. British Sign Language and Indian Sign Language use two-handed alphabets with completely different shapes, so this strip should not be used for either.
Only two: J and Z. J starts in the I handshape and traces the hook of a J with the little finger, while Z is drawn in the air with an extended index finger. The other 24 letters are held still.
Count how many fingers fold over the thumb. Three fingers over the thumb is M, two is N, and one — with the thumb poking up between index and middle finger — is T. The thumb position is the whole difference between the three.
Accented letters are reduced to their base letter, so José is spelled J-O-S-E, and digits or punctuation other than a hyphen or apostrophe are skipped and listed separately. Names are conventionally fingerspelled letter by letter, though many people are given a personal name sign by someone in the Deaf community.