What it does
Shapecatcher searches for similar Unicode characters from a drawing, with draw, fill, erase and recognize controls.
Sketch an unfamiliar symbol with the left mouse button, adjust or clear the strokes, then choose Recognize to see visually similar Unicode candidates. The drawing is a way to narrow the search when you do not know the character’s name. Shapecatcher’s database covers 11,817 glyphs and excludes Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters. Compare the returned candidates with the symbol you intended; a similar outline does not establish the same identity. The service finds Unicode characters rather than LaTeX commands.
Strengths
- Shape-based character search
Watch out for
- Chinese, Japanese and Korean glyphs are unsupported
- The database covers only a subset of Unicode
Best for
- Identifying an unfamiliar symbol
Sources
- Shapecatcher: Draw the Unicode character you want! (Oct 26, 2026)
- Shapecatcher: Draw the Unicode character you want (Oct 26, 2026)