Pigpen Cipher Translator (SVG & PNG)

The pigpen cipher replaces each letter with a fragment of a tic-tac-toe grid or an X, with or without a dot. It was used by the Freemasons in the 18th century, which is why it is also called the Freemason’s cipher, and it is still a favourite for escape rooms, scouting and treasure hunts. This translator draws your message as clean vector symbols (SVG) and a PNG image, and gives a key chart so the recipient can decode it.

How to use this tool

1. Type the message; letters A–Z are drawn, spaces start a new word.
2. Pick the key layout your puzzle uses and the symbol size.
3. Choose colours and whether to write the letters underneath (handy for checking).
4. Download the SVG for printing at any size, the PNG for sharing, and the key chart.

Formula

Symbol = the lines that enclose the letter’s cell (grid) or wedge (×), plus a dot for the second grid and second ×.

In the most common layout, A–I fill the first grid in reading order, J–R the dotted grid, S–V the four wedges of the first × (top, left, right, bottom) and W–Z the dotted ×. E, in the middle of the grid, is a closed square; N, the middle of the dotted grid, is a square with a dot. Other books arrange the figures differently, which is why the key chart is included.

Example

In layout 1, A (top-left cell) is drawn as a right and a bottom line — like a backwards L turned over — E is a full square, N is a square with a dot and S is a V. "abc" at 40 px gives a 172 × 72 px image: three symbols with 10 px between them and a 16 px margin.