Here is a site that has 5 free single line fonts to download. http://featurecam.com/general/support/engrave_fonts.asp
These ones need a bit of manual manipulation but it is fast and easy and I think it is worth it as their are a few unusual fonts.

Below is a screenshot of the fonts you can download. On the left is how they look when typed with stroke on and fill off. On the right is how they look after being manually changed. It doesn't take long to change the font. As I hate doing the same thing over and over, I type the alphabet in upper case and lower case and change each letter, then save the file. If I want to use the font in future I open my saved file and use the letters I have already altered.

Instructions listing how I changed the letters that were a closed shape.
Changing a letter is fast and easy, except the Handscript font which is a bit shaky and may need some nodes smoothing.
1- Select the typed text, apply Path>Object to Path.
2- Ungroup.
3- Hold down the shift key and select the node at the end of each segment you wish to remove. Only select two nodes at any one time.

4- When the two nodes are selected apply delete segment between two non-endpoint nodes as shown below.

5- Continue deleting segments and save the file.

I will list a few general tips that may be handy if you are working with single line fonts.

I tend to work in Inkscape with a fill and no stroke and this will not work with single line fonts.
Work with Stroke On and Fill Off. Another alternative is to work in Outline mode to clearly see the path of the font.

I know many of us like to change the spacing between each letter when we are working with fonts. A few things are slightly different when working with single line fonts.
You can still kern text in the normal manner.
You can still apply Object to Path and Ungroup to change the spacing between letters.
You cannot apply Path>Union, instead use Path>Combine.
You cannot apply Stroke to Path or you will end up with double lines. See example below.


If you need any assistance don't forget to ask for help.

AHhhhh Carolyn

This is just what I needed, I keep saying that you have a secret camera in my house; I was trying to do a single line font using a silver sketch pen on my silhouette; 1 Font was too small and 2 the double lines were still there 3 I shouldn't have used textured card but now I know what to do.....Carolyn to the rescue again........

Thank you so much for the useful info Carolyn. I have a qu for you. I saw you had directions for making single line fonts in a blog a while ago and I am trying to find those directions for inkscape. could you help me locate those?
thanks!!

Welcome to the forum Penguin, I know Carolyn will be along soon......

Hi Penguin, When you say "making single line fonts" did you mean making them from scratch? I had a few posts about changing single line fonts that can be downloaded but I didn't have one about making single line fonts.

Are you interested in making changing many standard fonts to be single line fonts? If so I can write up a tutorial showing it isn't that hard to change a standard thin font to be a single line font. I tend to only write new tutorials if a topic is requested.

I have transferred all the posts from the blog to this forum except one. I didn't transfer that post as the file had to be downloaded from another forum. I thought it was bad manners to send people to another site just to grab files and realised I should not have posted the link without asking permission first. I will try to contact the owner of the files and ask permission.

The posts I did transfer are the one on the Hershey Extension for Inkscape viewtopic.php?f=22&t=463 and the post we are currently on.

Hi

I would LOVE a tut on how to create single line fonts from thin fonts. I love to use Inkscape to write lettering round things; when the font is big enough, being a double line isn't such a problem, but when it's smaller, it just looks messy.

Thank you.

Give me a few days and I will get something written up. I am currently having internet issues but I know the speed will return to normal on the 25th and I will then be able to upload tutorials.