Pigpen & symbol cipher

Secret file

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Symbols Every letter becomes a sign: shapes, pigpen or animals. Number code A = 1, B = 2 … Z = 26. With optional offset and separator. Caesar Every letter moves along the alphabet. With a cipher wheel to craft. Mirror writing Real mirrored lettering. Hold a mirror next to it to read. Morse code Dots and dashes like a radio operator. A slash separates words. Backwards The text is written back to front, as a whole or word by word.

Settings

This code has no settings.

Heading on the sheet

Print a solution line for parents

Top secret

Your secret message

Type a message above and it will appear here in code.

✂ This is your A4 sheet. The cut line separates message and key.

Letters become signs

In a symbol cipher every letter has a fixed sign. The message looks like a row of little pictures – and without the table it stays a puzzle. The generator converts your text into symbols and prints the table below as a detachable key.

Three symbol sets

Shapes: circle, square, star, heart, lightning – 30 clearly distinct geometric figures. The easiest set for young children.
Pigpen (Freemason): the famous grid cipher from the 18th century. Each letter is the piece of grid it sits in. Ä, Ö, Ü and ß get an extension with two dots.
Animals: fish, cat, butterfly, owl and more as stylised silhouettes – lovely for outdoor treasure hunts.

Clean in black and white

All symbols are vector graphics in pure black. They print sharply on any printer, including a basic laser printer – unlike emoji, which look different or vanish depending on the device. Symbol size adapts to the message length so everything fits on one sheet.

Tips

Short messages work best – each symbol is about the size of a thumbnail. The set does not know digits or punctuation; they stay as normal characters and are highlighted in the preview. For a blank sheet to write on by hand, all three sets are under Templates.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the pigpen cipher?

The pigpen or Freemason cipher replaces each letter with the piece of grid it sits in. It dates from the 18th century and is still the best-known symbol code.

Are umlauts supported?

Yes. Ä, Ö, Ü and ß have their own symbol in every set and appear in the key.

Does it print cleanly on a black-and-white printer?

Yes. All symbols are pure black vector graphics without greys or gradients.