Shapecatcher — Draw & Sketch to Find Unicode Characters
Don’t know the name or codepoint of a symbol? Sketch its shape on the canvas below to find instant matching Unicode characters.
How Does Shapecatcher Work?
Shapecatcher lets you draw a Unicode character by hand and finds matching symbols from the Unicode database. Draw the shape you are looking for and the tool identifies the Unicode code point (U+XXXX).
How to find a character
1. Draw the character shape in the canvas above. 2. Click Search. 3. Browse matching Unicode characters and click to copy.
Use cases
Finding a symbol you see but cannot type, identifying unknown characters from images, and discovering related Unicode symbols.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does Shapecatcher find Unicode characters from hand-drawn sketches?
Our recognition engine extracts visual topological features from your canvas strokes, analyzing aspect ratio, density distribution, and curvature vectors to rank and match against the Unicode 16.0 character database in real time.
How many Unicode characters are in the database?
The Unicode Standard (Unicode 16.0) contains 154,998 characters across 300+ scripts and symbol sets.
Does this tool work on mobile touchscreens and iPad styluses?
Yes! The canvas supports mouse input, touchscreens (Android/iOS), and Apple Pencil/stylus input with zero latency.
Is Shapecatcher free to use?
Yes, 100% free with unlimited sketches, private client-side processing, and zero registration required.