Handwriting · James Grieshaber
Short Stack
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Short Stack', cursive; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Short Stack is a free handwriting font by James Grieshaber, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 331 handwriting faces on FontKind, Short Stack has an x-height taller than 91%, is wider than 97% and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 75%. Its thickest strokes are 1.0 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Dekko
Short Stack on one light table with its two closest fonts, Dekko (100 out of 100) and Fuzzy Bubbles (83). Dekko is 33% narrower, with an x-height 18% shorter and less stroke contrast; Fuzzy Bubbles is 10% narrower and 8% lighter.
Short Stack and Dekko laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Short StackDekko…
Most different letters first; the figure is the share of ink the fonts have in common. Where the fonts agree the letters cancel to black: every white sliver is a real difference.
02 / Letters
The Short Stack alphabet
Capitals, lowercase, figures and signs · weight 400
Tap the letters you like, here and in other fonts, to find the fonts whose letters look most like them.
- &
- ?
- !
- @
- %
- (
- )
03 / Sizes
Short Stack at every size
1 weight (400) · six sizes, in your words
- 12 px
- 16 px
- 24 px
- 36 px
- 48 px
- 72 px
04 / Facts
Who made Short Stack, and can you use it?
- Designer
- James Grieshaber
- Kind
- Handwriting
- Styles
- 1 weight (400)
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- latin
- Licence
- SIL Open Font License 1.1
Can I use it?
- Commercial use
- Yes.
- Logos
- Yes.
- Websites and apps
- Yes. Self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts.
- PDFs and documents
- Yes.
- Changes
- Yes, under another name. Not as “Short Stack”: the licence reserves the name.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Short Stack is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. This is a plain summary, not legal advice: the licence itself decides.
Already in your apps?
- Google Docs
- Most likely. Under More fonts, in Sheets and Slides too. Google’s guide
- Word, PowerPoint
- No. Install it from Google Fonts first. Microsoft’s list
- Figma
- Yes. Built in, nothing to install. Figma’s help
- Canva
- Not verified. Search its font menu for Short Stack, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Short Stack under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Short Stack, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 54.3% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 66.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.81lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 62.7% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 37%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.04 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among handwriting faces
Ranked against all 331 handwriting faces on FontKind
x-heightLarger than 91% of handwriting faces
WidthWider than 97% of handwriting faces
InkLighter than 75% of handwriting faces
ContrastMore even than 66% of handwriting faces
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Short Stack
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Dekko10033% narrower · x-height 18% shorter · less stroke contrast
- Fuzzy Bubbles8310% narrower · 8% lighter
- Itim7923% narrower · x-height 19% shorter · 33% heavier
- Schoolbell7831% narrower · x-height 13% shorter · 21% heavier
- Chilanka7717% narrower · x-height 9% shorter · 8% lighter
- Handlee7331% narrower · more stroke contrast · x-height 9% shorter
All 100 fonts similar to Short Stack →Compare side by side →Get Short Stack on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Short Stack without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
Fallback while it loads
Until Short Stack loads, this sets Arial in its place at 132% of its size, so running text keeps Short Stack’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Short Stack Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 132.01%;
ascent-override: 70.76%;
descent-override: 22.53%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Short Stack', 'Short Stack Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Questions
Questions about Short Stack
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Short Stack free for commercial use?
Yes. Short Stack is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 , which allows commercial use at any scale, logos, websites, apps and PDFs included; a changed version may not be called “Short Stack”.
How do I download and install Short Stack?
FontKind doesn’t host Short Stack’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds a single font file. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Short Stack in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Short Stack isn’t one of Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts. Installed, it is in Word’s font menu and PowerPoint’s. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Short Stack in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Short Stack under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Short Stack in Figma?
Yes: Short Stack is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Short Stack have?
Short Stack comes in one weight, Regular (400). Ask for bold and most apps thicken the letters themselves: a faux bold, not a drawn one.
Who designed Short Stack?
Short Stack was designed by James Grieshaber. It has been on Google Fonts since August 2011. James Grieshaber also made Black Ops One, Sarina, Reenie Beanie and three more on FontKind.
What fonts are similar to Short Stack?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Dekko (100), Fuzzy Bubbles (83) and Itim (79), out of 100. Next to Short Stack, Dekko is 33% narrower, with an x-height 18% shorter and less stroke contrast. See all 100 fonts like Short Stack.