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Soroban fonts (free)

A soroban numerals font and soroban bead fonts, free to download.

Numerals font ZIP・30 KB Bead font ZIP・13 KB

TrueType fonts.
Free for personal and commercial use. (SIL Open Font License 1.1)

No.1
  1. 4,382
  2. 715
  3. -2,069
  4. 8,346
  5. 590
Answer11,964
Top: the numerals font. Bottom: "[_11,964._]" typed in the bead font.

Try it

Type something and see it in both fonts as you type.

Examples:
How it looks
Numerals fontRegular
3,456,789
Numerals fontBold
3,456,789
Bead font The frame [ ] on each side is added for you
[3,456,789]

The bead font only has digits, the comma, the decimal point, [ ] and _. Any other characters are left out here.

Numerals font

Soroban Tech Lab Numbers

Slanted, handwriting-style numerals, like the ones on Japanese abacus exam sheets.
Every digit from 0 to 9 is the same width, so numbers stacked in a column line up digit by digit.
The comma and decimal point are narrow, so the figures don't spread apart.

Regular
1234567890
Bold
1234567890
58+273-96=235
47*36=1,692* for ×
8,463/21=403/ for ÷
$37.50

Characters included

Digits
0123456789
Math symbols
+ −or - ×or * ÷or / =<> ≦≧≤≥ ≠±√π
Number marks
,.%: °²³□
Brackets
()[]{}
Other symbols
?!#@ &;~_
Currency symbols
¥or \ or ￥ $£€ ₩₹ ⃁Saudi riyal ⃃UAE dirham

There are no letters.

Download the numerals font ZIP・30 KB・Regular and Bold

Bead font

Soroban Tech Lab Beads

Type a digit and you get a soroban rod with that number set.
Keep typing and the frame and bar join up into a single abacus.
There are four styles, each drawing the beads a different way.

Full

All beads. Beads that are set are black, the rest are outlines.

Simple

Set beads only. Just the beads moved against the bar are drawn.

Outline

All beads as outlines. Use it for questions answered by filling in the beads.

Dotted

Set beads are black, the rest are dotted lines.

Each one is "[1,234,567.]" typed in that style.

What to type

TypeYou getExample (what was typed)
0〜9A rod with that number set (one character, one rod)[0123456789]
[ ]The frame at the left and right ends
5
[5]
, .A unit point on the bar of the rod before it[1,234.5]
_A rod with no beads set[__7__]

In Excel, set the cell's number format to "#,##0" and a unit point appears every three digits when you enter a number.

Download the bead font ZIP・13 KB・4 styles

Installing and using the fonts

In Word and Excel, choose them by the names Soroban Tech Lab Numbers and Soroban Tech Lab Beads Full (Simple, Outline and Dotted are named the same way).

License

Released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.

  • Free for anyone to use: individuals, soroban schools, schools and companies.
  • Use them in worksheets, handouts, PDFs and apps you make.
  • You may not sell the font files on their own.

The full text is in OFL.txt inside the ZIP. The license and its FAQ are at openfontlicense.org.

Versions and checksums

Check the SHA-256 value to confirm that a file you downloaded is the same one offered here.

FileVersionSizeSHA-256
SorobanTechLabNumbers-1.000.zip1.00030 KB145de6cd481be201dd7ea834d8803076a3a842b7721f3695e45e3a3ad4b15850
SorobanTechLabBeads-1.000.zip1.00013 KBf3f5c0ae2be1d7d095c8c2c31c20927e90e169fb511918ac7e85422b76f1fd71

October 17, 2026: 1.000 (first release)

Common questions

Are they really free? Can I use them on worksheets I hand out in class?
Yes. Both fonts are free, with no sign-up. You can hand out the worksheets and workbooks you make in class, at school or at home. You may not sell the font files themselves on their own (see the license section for the other conditions).
Can I turn my worksheets into PDFs and share them?
Yes. The fonts have no setting that restricts embedding. When you export to PDF, the fonts are included in the PDF, so your sheets look the same to people who do not have the fonts installed.
Does the numerals font include letters?
No. It has only digits and math and currency symbols.
Why do "*" and "/" turn into × and ÷?
So you can type multiplication and division problems easily from the keyboard. To show an actual asterisk or slash, set just that part in another font.
How do I add unit points in the soroban bead font?
Type a comma or a period after a digit, and a unit point appears on the bar of that rod. "[1,234]" puts a point on the thousands rod. In Excel, set the cell's number format to "#,##0" and a point appears every three digits when you enter a number.
Can I build the fonts into an app or a website?
Yes. You can bundle them with an app or use them as web fonts. When you do, include OFL.txt from the ZIP (the copyright notice and license) with them.