Sign Language

Permission is granted for you to download the sign language pictures for use on your personal computing devices and/or in your classroom. The sign language graphics on this page are copyrighted. You may post the signs to a blog or webpage but please provide credit and a link to Lifeprint.com. Here is an example of an easy way to do that:  "Copyright © Dr. Bill Vicars, sign language resources at Lifeprint.com"  Thanks!

The "I love you" handshape in American Sign language (ASL)

sign language

Sign Language ILY "I love you" (ASL handshape) © 2007 William Vicars (Adapted from the Gallaudet type font)
The Gallaudet font is copyright © 1991 by David Rakowski. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

Interesting note: In texting, the ILY handshape can be shown with the emoticon "ImL"

American Sign Language (ASL) Manual Alphabet (fingerspelling) Desktop Wallpaper: 1280x1024 pixels
Instructions: Right click on the picture and select "Set as Background" from the drop down menu.

ASL American Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) Fingerspelling
Copyright © 2007 William Vicars, Lifeprint.com

 

 

ASL American Sign Language
Copyright © 2007 William Vicars, Lifeprint.com

sign language
American Sign Language (ASL) Fingerspelled Alphabet
Copyright © 2007 William Vicars, Lifeprint.com 

1280 by 960:

ASL "Gallaudet" type font

"Fingerspelling Chart, Layout and design copyright © 2007, William Vicars, sign language resources at Lifeprint.com"
The Gallaudet font is copyright (c) 1991 by David Rakowski. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

Copyright Lifeprint.com.  The Gallaudet font is copyright (c) 1991 by David Rakowski. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
For a much higher resolution of the above file, visit "wallpaper 2."

For a copy of the above chart as a Microsoft Word document: 
Fingerspelling Chart (.doc format)

ASL art
You may post the graphics on this page your blog or webpage but please provide credit and a link to Lifeprint.com. For example:
"Copyright © Dr. Bill Vicars, sign language resources at Lifeprint.com"

 

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Sign Language

 

Discussion:

 

 
In a message dated 8/11/2009 12:06:31 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, gwen.r.bryant@ writes:
Hi Bill, my team and I love your website, but a couple of folks including a deaf colleague say that the real looking handsign with the "B" on it is wrong, it should be stated as the black and white printer copy.
I thought maybe it was dialect?
Please clarify.
Thanks,
Gwen

Gwen,
Hello.  :)
See: "the handshapes page" and scroll down a bit to the "B" section. There you will see 3 examples and a bit of discussion.
What you will find when you video various people fingerspelling at high speed is that many of the handshapes that we see in fingerspelling charts are not at all like the handshapes that are taking place at high speed.
For example, the fingers jut out on M and N.  The E mutates into various configurations. The thumb on the letter "B" ends up only partially bent across the palm.
That is why when you see a book or teacher showing you the individual letters they look one way, and then when you see people "actually fingerspelling" many letters look a bit different.
Your colleague is quite right that the black and white printer copy is "right."  I reckon it took an artist 15 to 20 minutes to draw that handshape with the thumb handsomely draped across the palm.  That just doesn't work for high speed spelling.
So, I had to make a decision when I developed the "photo-realistic" chart.  Do I want to go for "traditional pretty" or "real world application?" 
The fact that both versions are posted are an indication that I think both versions are right.
Note: I don't expect most people (even other ASL instructors) to agree with me about the letter "B."  That's okay, if they will take my challenge (to do the videotaping of high speed fingerspelling) and capture individual frames they will see for themselves.
Cordially,
Bill
Lifeprint.com