![]() ![]() (If you’re a Linux user, FontForge is more or less your only choice.)įor those rolling in cash, DTL FontMaster can do everything FontLab can, and more, but it’s quite expensive. FontForge is available for PC, Mac, and Linux. There was an interesting thread recently over at Typophile about FontForge that you might want to read, if you’re considering taking the open-source plunge. Also, the program is not as well documented as FontLab. That said, installing FontForge (at least under Windows) is not exactly a simple matter (you’ll need to install Cygwin first). I’ve used FontLab Studio pretty extensively, and can vouch for its excellence, and the vibrancy of the user community.įontForge can ostensibly do everything that FontLab can, and it’s free and open-source. A 30-day free trial is available, if you want to try before you buy. It is more or less the industry standard, and, as such, isn’t exactly cheap, coming in at $649 (US). The major players are listed below: Font Editing ProgramsįontLab Studio is what I use to make my fonts. Font editing software comes in a variety of strengths and prices, and works on a variety of platforms. (What! You haven’t learned all about serifs, side-bearings, and kerning? Well, make sure you read all of the articles on ILT before you embark on font creation! You’ll need all of the knowledge you can get if you plan on being successful! And if you’re not a brilliant designer or a master calligrapher, well, don’t worry-you can still create some beautiful fonts with a little hard work, a lot of knowledge, and a little inspiration.) The Crux: Font Editing SoftwareĪll the brilliant design, precise calligraphic work, and deep knowledge of kerning won’t mean anything if you can’t translate your work into a computer-friendly format, which is why you’ll need a good piece of font editing software at your disposal. If at some time, you want to dig a bit deeper and get further into the technical details that separate a quality font from those typically found on the free font sites, I really would recommend looking into Glyphs.So you’re a brilliant designer, a master calligrapher, and you’ve learned all about serifs, side-bearings, and kerning. For what it sounds like you’re wanting to do, it might be the best option for you. Like people told me would happen at the time, I soon found that out and switched to designing them solely in the creation software and resorting to Illustrator for only those things that Illustrator can do.įontForge is archaic, clunky and buggy, but it is usable (and free). ![]() I began, like you, thinking that Illustrator is a good type drawing tool, but it’s not made for designing or, especially, building fonts. For what it’s worth, I work in both FontLab and and application called Glyphs (which I like better). The last I looked, the user manual for FontLab (one of the more popular font creation applications) is around 900 pages long, which gives you an idea of the complexity of doing it the right way. Even if all you’re doing is drawing the glyphs in Illustrator and placing them into their Unicode slots in FontForge, it’s tedious and technical. You’re greatly underestimating the complexity involved in putting a font together. Exporting and editing through the software sounds like it’d take just as much time as creating a font itself.ĭesigning good, quality fonts is difficult, methodical, process-driven and very time-consuming. ![]()
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