Yes, you missed fontForge, which can import SVG files, has a vector design for drawing curves inbuilt and all the bells you need for ligatures. For a free program it is very impressive. I personally prefer the import over drawing within fontForge. When using the import function it is advisable to use the final font space with gaps before and after. It is much easier to adjust any scale, heights, width and position etc in a vector program than it is in fontForge.
I think fontForge is really weird, still trying to learn it There isn't much documentation when I tried using it, so I had a hard time figuring stuff out
Fontforge is great. Its free and open source and isnt very difficult to learn while being extremely powerful. Would definitely recommend it, especially because you can import svgs or bitmaps to create fonts as well, so I just create all of my characters in inkscape (another extremely powerful free and open source program for vector graphics which is a great alternative to illustrator).
Thank you so much for this comment! I know it's several years old now, but I've been playing around with Inkscape a little and rly enjoyed it and I am looking for a way to make my own font for free and I would love to be able to make it in Inkscape, so this sounds perfect!
Thanks for this, I am using Procreate on iPad and would like to add my own fonts to it. This is a pretty good scope of possibilities for the beginner that I am.
Ian - great video and right to the point. Do you have a video talking about how you market and sell your fonts? My wife designed a font 40 years ago of a bunny in different poses for each letter of the alphabet. I need to scan each letter and use one of the programs you mentioned to digitize them and make them keyboard ready.
Thanks for sharing these apps. I found this incredibly helpful. If I might ask, can iFontMaker also create fonts for Geʿez/Ethiopic, Hebrew, Arabic, and Runic scripts? And does Latin include accent marks?
Thanks Ian. It's about 3 years since this last list of recommended applications...any new recommendations? Also, I have a font that I am using but the lettering doesn't match to the keystroke needed. Any recommendations on apps that allow simple imports and moving around or simply cut-and-paste to the needed keystroke? Thanks again. Cheers.
Is there a font app that can work with Procreate or Affinity Designer? I already made some letters in vectors, and would like to convert them into fonts.
Thanks Toby. I'll try and make some more of these types of videos. I know how frustrating it can be to go through a load of waffle before you get to the info.
you deserved a millon thumbs uuuppppp ... i am e marketer and i really loved this video .. i did not have any idea how to create a new font , but now i do :)
Do I have to have some kind of outside app to create my own font? Can I not just use AI or PS and create my letters and assign them within AI or PS? Seems so inconvenient to pay for an app if you're only going to do it once.
It's funny this showed up in my suggestion list. Birdfont is free, but a donation is needed for commercial use. I'm still finding it a bit cumbersome to use. Which is why I purchased TypeTool3 on the cheap end of the fontlab set.
The font that I am trying to build has different writing structure rule for my native language. The characters stack on one another and it indicates pronunciation.
Ian Barnard I've just used illustrator so far, only using the golden ratio to make it, basing it around a circle, next stage is to add texture in place of weights to show stages of decay. I'll probably animate it too.
Great video! I just wanted to point out Fontforge, which is the best free software I could find. (I'm relatively new to Designing Fonts and so I needed something that's relatively easy to understand and that I could try out for free). Some features are a bit confusing, but the basics were quite easy to grasp for me and you can do a lot with it.
Hi, man Nice work... am now using Structfont I have a request... How can u develop for me a font... I hv the Idea but I can't use the tools well I am ready to settle for 25% my idea is very simple... You can take it far... I know you can... Think about it... Your reply want change my view... I still find you awesome
Great great great video... I do have a question. I hope you or someone can answer for me. I'm very new at this, but I've created a font, but it has come out a little too wide. Anyone know the best way to batch condense / narrow the glyphs without have rework each one?
If I want to make a music notation font. Like type in music notation in Page. What is the best font to create music notation font? Thank you for your help.
Any thoughts on the best way to add italics to a font? My job uses a particular font they insist on and have used for 108ish years. We also go bananas on italics. The problem is this font has no UPPERCASE italics which is absolutely mental. How might I go about augmenting the font to include damn italic caps? I know how to slant a character but to make it part of the actual font - when I am typing in InD with it...that is what I want to do. Thoughts? Great vid BTW - subscribed :)
What if... You free drew your letters on a paper? I was trying to find a video about doing transfers that way... Getting hand drawn letter fonts, pencil, on to lap top.. very new to this.. software transfer.. have been drawing for years but never done anything with my art work.. if anyone can help me out with links or directions on where to look, it would be much appreciated 💕
Thanks for the video. Any suggestions for fonts of scripts other than English.. e.g. ক খ গ etc (Assamese script), in such scripts the letters change their structure sometimes (ক+ৰ=ক্ৰ or ন+ত=ন্ত). Even the the vowels have signs if used with consonant.
Ian, Do you know how Musical instrument tablatures are created and made into TTF font files? I have a Roland AE-01 Aerophone and would like to create a TTF Font to be used in MuseScore to display the tablatures for each note on Sheet Music Scores. I can't find anything on how to start learning how.
What about fontforge? Has this guy never heard of it? It's really useful for making fonts and you can design the fonts characters in inkscape... This guide is incomplete. :(
How much do you figure a freelancer would charge to create a custom font for someone? The reason I am asking is because I was recently going to purchase a font, but the rights to 'embed' the font just weren't worth paying. For the money, I wonder if I could simply get a freelancer to create a font closer to what I actually want. Going for the 'freehand' style but for technical drawings.
@@IanBarnard Thanks! I looked in Fiverr... I know some of those sites are kind of meat grinders. Prices look reasonable but I'm not sure if includes all the provisions such as an installable .TTF file, ability to embed, etc... Luckily there's lots of resources on the subject thanks to you guys. Just gotta take the time to watch them I guess :-) .