Vertical Text Image Maker
Just enter your text to make a vertical text image (PNG). Punctuation and 2-digit numbers (tate-chu-yoko) are placed following the rules of Japanese vertical writing.
1. Enter your text
Each line break starts a new column to the left.
“For grade N” skips kanji taught up to that grade of Japanese elementary school. The first time, a dictionary (about 18 MB) is loaded.
Tap the base text to show or hide a reading, or tap the reading to edit it (empty removes it). You can also tap the base text on the preview.
2. Choose a design
Your changes show up in the preview right away.
Font
Align columns
Sets 2-digit numbers, like the “12” in 「12月」, and “!?” side by side in the width of one character. Single digits and numbers with 3 or more digits are stacked upright one by one. Tap a number on the preview to switch just that one.
Text color
Background
Background color
3. Save the image
Save the image exactly as shown in the preview, as a PNG.
480 × 1152 px
The image is made on this device. The text you enter is not sent anywhere.
Fonts are loaded from this site when you choose them (no other services are contacted).
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How to use
1. Enter your text
Tap the “Text for vertical writing” box and type your text. A small vertical preview appears at the bottom of the screen. Each line break starts a new column to the left. Add furigana by tapping a kanji on the preview or with “Add automatically”; you can turn each one off in the list below the box.
Click the “Text for vertical writing” box on the left and type your text. The preview on the right turns vertical right away. Each line break starts a new column to the left. Add furigana by tapping a kanji on the preview or with “Add automatically”; you can turn each one off in the list below the box.
2. Choose a font and the characters per column
In “Choose a design”, tap “Brush” and pick one of the fonts that appear. Then move the “Characters per column” slider to change how many characters fit in each column. Check the result in the preview at the bottom of the screen.
In “Choose a design”, click “Brush” and pick one of the fonts that appear. Then move the “Characters per column” slider to change how many characters fit in each column, which changes the column length.
3. Choose colors
Scroll down and tap a color circle under “Text color” to change the text color. Under “Background” you can also pick a gradient. To place the image over a photo or similar, choose “Transparent” under “Background”. Transparent areas are shown as a checkerboard in the preview.
Scroll down and click a color circle under “Text color” to change the text color. Under “Background” you can also pick a gradient. To place the image over a photo or similar, choose “Transparent” under “Background”. Transparent areas are shown as a checkerboard in the preview on the right.
4. Save
Tap “Save” at the bottom of the screen to jump to the save section, then tap “Save PNG”.
Click “Save PNG” in the right panel to save the image exactly as shown in the preview. The image size is shown below the preview.
Great for
Vertical quotes and poems for social media
Turn a haiku, tanka, poem or favorite line into a vertical text image to post. Brush and Serif (Mincho) fonts give it a classic Japanese feel.
Social media users and writers
Notices and signs in vertical writing
Write things like 「本日休業」 (closed today) or opening hours vertically for signs and shop displays. 2-digit numbers in dates and times are set side by side so they’re easy to read.
Shops, community groups and schools
Vertical headings for slides and images
Add vertical text to slides, video thumbnails or flyers. With a transparent background, you can place it right on top.
People making slides, videos and flyers
Messages for New Year’s and greeting cards
Write greetings vertically and use the image on nengajo (New Year’s cards), thank-you letters and message cards.
People making cards and letters
Good to know before you start
- The result is an image. To change the text later, edit it and save again.
- Emphasis dots (kenten) aren’t supported.
- Half-width Latin letters are stacked upright one by one. Laying English words on their side isn’t supported.
Rules of Japanese vertical writing, and how this tool lays out text
In Japanese vertical writing (tategaki), the same characters are placed differently than in horizontal text. The punctuation marks 「、。」 go in the upper right of their square, small kana like 「ゃ」 and 「っ」 shift slightly up and to the right, and the long vowel mark 「ー」, brackets 「」（）, the wave dash 「〜」 and the ellipsis 「…」 are rotated 90 degrees. 2-digit numbers, like the “12” in 「12月」, are set side by side in the space of one character (tate-chu-yoko, horizontal-in-vertical). This tool places each character following these rules.
So that no column starts with punctuation or a closing bracket, one such character is allowed to hang below the end of the previous column (burasage), and an opening bracket left at the end of a column is moved to the next one. You can choose from Serif (Mincho), Brush, Handwriting, Rounded and other fonts. They are all hosted on this site, so no other services are contacted.
FAQ
Answers to common questions before you start.
Is the text I enter sent anywhere?
No. The vertical text image is made in the browser on your device, and the text you enter is never uploaded to a server.
My numbers are lying on their side.
This tool doesn’t lay numbers on their side; it sets them upright. With “Set 2-digit numbers sideways (tate-chu-yoko)” on, 2-digit numbers like “12” are set side by side in the space of one character. Turn it off to stack each digit vertically.
Can 3- or 4-digit numbers be set side by side too?
Numbers with 3 or more digits are stacked vertically one by one, because setting them side by side would make the digits very thin and hard to read. Writing years in kanji numerals, like 「二〇二六年」 for 「2026年」, also works well.
Are punctuation and 「ー」 placed correctly?
Yes. 「、。」 go in the upper right of their square, and 「ー」, brackets, 「〜」 and 「…」 are rotated 90 degrees so they take their vertical-writing form.
Can I make the background transparent?
Yes. Choose “Transparent” under “Background” and save to get a transparent PNG with only the text. You can place it right on top of photos or slides.
Which fonts can I use?
You can choose from Japanese fonts in Serif (Mincho), Brush, Handwriting, Rounded, Sans and Display styles. Apart from Default (your device's font), they are all free fonts (SIL Open Font License), and you can use the images you make commercially too.
What happens with line breaks?
Each line break starts a new column to the left. Even without line breaks, the text moves to the next column once it passes the “Characters per column” limit. An empty line adds a gap between columns.
Can I add furigana (ruby)?
Yes. Put “｜” before the base text and the reading in 《》 after it, like “｜東京《とうきょう》” (the same notation as Aozora Bunko). When the base is all kanji, you can leave out the “｜”: “東京《とうきょう》”. The furigana appears small on the right of the characters, and if it is longer than the base text, it slightly overlaps the characters before and after. To leave a reading out, turn it off in the list below the box or tap its base text on the preview. You can also tap a kanji on the preview and type its reading. To fix a reading, tap it in the list.
Can furigana be added automatically?
Yes. Choose a level under “Automatic furigana” and press “Add automatically” to add readings to the kanji in your text (only on the kanji part, e.g. 食《た》べる for 食べる). “For grade N” skips kanji taught up to that grade. The grade lists follow the “Table of kanji by school grade” in Japan’s Elementary School Course of Study (MEXT, 2017 notice, in effect from FY2020). Readings come from a dictionary, so if one is wrong, turn it off in the list or fix the 《》 in the text. The dictionary (about 18 MB) is loaded from this site the first time, and your text is not sent anywhere.
Can I change the image size?
The size is set by “Text size”, “Characters per column”, “Column spacing”, “Letter spacing” and “Margin”. The current size is shown below the preview. For a larger image, increase the text size.
Does it work on phones?
Yes. On iPhone, “Save to Photos” adds the image to the Photos app. You can choose the design while watching the small preview at the bottom of the screen, or edit in full screen with a large preview.
Is it free?
Yes. No sign-up, no ads, and no limit on how many images you make.
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