How do I make font files?

2001-07-03 04:00 am

Does anyone know, how to make Windows (music)fonts? Is there a special program needed for this purpose?

Please help me.

Re: How do I make font files?

Reply #1 – 2001-07-03 04:00 am

Here's a response from someone who knows ...

You want to draw? You need a drawing program. You want to do word processing? You need a word processing program. You want to create or edit fonts? You need a program that creates or edits fonts.

If you happen to own a recent version of Corel Draw, I am told that it has some sort of minimal font-editing capability built in. (I don't have the program, so I wouldn't know.)

Otherwise, be aware that the most stripped-down font editor is not a cheap program. The one I used costs something like $100, and has a few bugs. Its big-brother version costs several hundred dollars.

Also be aware that it is not too difficult to make a font that will print well, but much more difficult to make it so that it will look good on screen. This has something to do with "hinting," a capability absent or minimal in the less expensive programs.

If what you want to do is cut-and-paste a variety of individual character symbols (called glyphs) from existing public-domain fonts, then the technique is not too hard to learn. But if you are going to make your own, then you have to be able to draw them. How are your computer drawing skills?

Also be aware that most fonts, even the ones publicly distributed at no cost, are NOT in the public domain. There come with licenses that generally prohibit modifications. That is, you cannot legally take part of MS Times New Roman, and part of MS Arial, and combine the parts to make "Times New Arial" for distribution.

Font editor programs are available on-line as trial downloads (but you will not be able to save your efforts). Shop around, and be sure that the program continues to be supported. There may be some programs out there that continue to be sold, but will never have existing bugs repaired.

Learning to use a font editor is not trivial. Just as owning a music program does not make one a musician, owning a font program does not make one a font designer.

Re: How do I make font files?

Reply #2 – 2001-07-03 04:00 am

Thank you for the information, Robert.

Re: How do I make font files?

Reply #3 – 2001-11-25 05:00 am

http://www.high-logic.com/fcp.html

It's free (so far as I can tell) and it seems to work. Go for it. Even has a tutorial.

Re: How do I make font files?

Reply #4 – 2001-11-25 05:00 am

It's NOT free, too buggy and the support is "dead". The tutorial refers to some features that the program does dot have(!).