This is a technical feature comparison of font editors.
Basic general information about font editors: creator, first release date, latest stable version, latest release date and license.
Software | Creator | First release date | Latest stable version | Latest release date | License |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BirdFont [1] | Johan Mattsson | August 24, 2012 | Proprietary or open source | ||
DTL FontMaster | Dutch Type Library | 3.0 | Proprietary | ||
DTL FontMaster Light | Dutch Type Library | 2.7 [2] | Free | ||
DTL OTMaster | 6.3 [2] | Proprietary | |||
DTL OTMaster Light | 3.7 [2] | Free | |||
FontArk (Web service) | Proprietary | ||||
FontCreator | Erwin Denissen | January 25, 1999 | 15.0.0.306 | October 14, 2024 | Proprietary |
FontDraw | Alexander Kirichenko | April 25, 2022 | 1.0 | April 25, 2022 | Proprietary |
FontForge | George Williams | 20230101 | January 1, 2023 | GPL3 | |
FontLab | Yuri Yarmola | 1993 | 8.4.2.8950 | September 25, 2024 | Proprietary |
Fontographer | Jim von Ehr | 5.2 | Proprietary | ||
Glyphr Studio [3] | Matt LaGrandeur, Mateusz Zawartka, Troy Coutu, & Eric Newport | 0.5.3 | October 2019 | GPL3 | |
Glyphs | Georg Seifert | 2011 | 3.2 | June 16, 2023 | Proprietary, file format and parts of the code open source |
Ikarus | Proprietary | ||||
RoboFont | Proprietary | ||||
Type | 3.2 | Proprietary | |||
Type light | 3.2.038 | Proprietary | |||
TypeTool | 3.1 | Proprietary | |||
VOGG | Free |
The table below lists the operating systems on which each font editor can run.
Software | Windows | OS X | Linux | Android | iOS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birdfont | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Crossfont | Yes | ||||
DTL FontMaster | Yes | ||||
DTL FontMaster Light | Yes | ||||
DTL OTMaster | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
DTL OTMaster Light | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
FontCreator | Yes | Yes | |||
FontDraw | Yes | ||||
FontForge | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
FontLab | Yes | Yes | |||
Glyphs | No | Yes | |||
Robofont | No | Yes | |||
Type | Yes | Yes | |||
Type light | Yes | Yes | |||
TypeTool | Yes | Yes | |||
VOGG | Yes |
Below is an overview of general features typical for font editors.
Software | Maximum number of glyphs supported | Colored glyphs | Windows Type 1 (.pfb) editor | Mac Type 1 (LWFN) editor | OpenType TT / TrueType (.ttf) editor | Mac TrueType (sfnt/dfont) editor | TrueType Collection (.ttc) editor | OpenType PS (.otf) editor | Macro / Script |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FontCreator | unlimited in source file [4] | COLR, CPAL, SVG [5] | import and export | import | import and export | OpenType PS (.otf) editor Macro / Script Transformations | |||
FontForge | No [6] | import and export [7] | import and export [8] | import and export [9] | import and export [10] | import and export [11] | import and export [12] | Yes [13] | |
FontLab | unlimited in source file | COLR, CPAL, SBIX, SVG [14] | import & export | import & export | import | import | import & export | Python scripting | |
Glyphs | unlimited in source file | COLR, CPAL, SBIX, SVG [15] | import | import | import & export | import | import | import & export | Python script and plug-ins, Objective-C plug-ins, free SDK available |
The OpenType cmap table can reference a maximum of 65536 glyphs. [16]
Font editors supporting TrueType hinting can do that either automatically or manually. The availability of these functions and the possibility to debug hinting is indicated in the following table.
Software | Automatic TrueType hinting | Manual TrueType hinting | TrueType hinting debugger |
---|---|---|---|
FontCreator 12 | ttfAutohint | ||
FontDraw 1.0 | ttfAutohint | ||
FontLab | ttfAutohint & FontLab | GUI | code preview and rendering previews, including Windows ClearType on macOS |
Glyphs | ttfAutohint | GUI | live preview of 3 renderings |
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an XML-based vector image format for defining two-dimensional graphics, having support for interactivity and animation. The SVG specification is an open standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium since 1999.
TrueType is an outline font standard developed by Apple in the late 1980s as a competitor to Adobe's Type 1 fonts used in PostScript. It has become the most common format for fonts on the classic Mac OS, macOS, and Microsoft Windows operating systems.
OpenType is a format for scalable computer fonts. Derived from TrueType, it retains TrueType's basic structure but adds many intricate data structures for describing typographic behavior. OpenType is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
In typography, kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result. Kerning adjusts the space between individual letterforms while tracking (letter-spacing) adjusts spacing uniformly over a range of characters. In a well-kerned font, the two-dimensional blank spaces between each pair of characters all have a visually similar area. The term "keming" is sometimes used informally to refer to poor kerning.
Computer Modern is the original family of typefaces used by the typesetting program TeX. It was created by Donald Knuth with his Metafont program, and was most recently updated in 1992. Computer Modern, or variants of it, remains very widely used in scientific publishing, especially in disciplines that make frequent use of mathematical notation.
Potrace is cross-platform, open-source software which converts bitmapped images into vector graphics. It is written and maintained by Peter Selinger.
Cairo is an open-source graphics library that provides a vector graphics-based, device-independent API for software developers. It provides primitives for two-dimensional drawing across a number of different backends. Cairo uses hardware acceleration when available.
A computer font is implemented as a digital data file containing a set of graphically related glyphs. A computer font is designed and created using a font editor. A computer font specifically designed for the computer screen, and not for printing, is a screen font.
Tux Paint is a free and open source raster graphics editor geared towards young children. The project was started in 2002 by Bill Kendrick who continues to maintain and improve it, with help from numerous volunteers. Tux Paint is seen by many as a free software alternative to Kid Pix, a similar proprietary educational software product.
A number of vector graphics editors exist for various platforms. Potential users of these editors will make a comparison of vector graphics editors based on factors such as the availability for the user's platform, the software license, the feature set, the merits of the user interface (UI) and the focus of the program. Some programs are more suitable for artistic work while others are better for technical drawings. Another important factor is the application's support of various vector and bitmap image formats for import and export.
Consolas is a monospaced typeface designed by Luc(as) de Groot. It is a part of the ClearType Font Collection, a suite of fonts that take advantage of Microsoft's ClearType font rendering technology. It has been included with Windows since Windows Vista, Microsoft Office 2007 and Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, and is available for download from Microsoft. It is the only standard Windows Vista font with a slash through the zero character. It is the default font for Microsoft Notepad as of Windows 8.
A fallback font is a reserve typeface containing symbols for as many Unicode characters as possible. When a display system encounters a character that is not part of the repertoire of any of the other available fonts, a symbol from a fallback font is used instead. Typically, a fallback font will contain symbols representative of the various types of Unicode characters.
Font hinting, also known as instructing, is the use of mathematical instructions to adjust the display of an outline font so that it lines up with a rasterized grid. At low screen resolutions, hinting is critical for producing clear, legible text. It can be accompanied by antialiasing and subpixel rendering for further clarity.
Apple's Macintosh computer supports a wide variety of fonts. This support was one of the features that initially distinguished it from other systems.
PostScript fonts are font files encoded in outline font specifications developed by Adobe Systems for professional digital typesetting. This system uses PostScript file format to encode font information.
Web typography, like typography generally, is the design of pages – their layout and typeface choices. Unlike traditional print-based typography, pages intended for display on the World Wide Web have additional technical challenges and – given its ability to change the presentation dynamically – additional opportunities. Early web page designs were very simple due to technology limitations; modern designs use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript and other techniques to deliver the typographer's and the client's vision.
Source Han Serif is a serif Song/Ming typeface created by Adobe and Google.
The Unified Font Object (UFO) is an XML-based source file format for digital fonts. It was created by Tal Leming, Just van Rossum and Erik van Blokland. Contributors to the format also include Ben Kiel and Frederik Berlaen. According to its creators, the UFO is a "future proof" open format that is designed to be "application independent", "human readable and human editable".
Boxy SVG is a proprietary vector graphics editor for creating illustrations, as well as logos, icons, and other elements of graphic design. It is primarily focused on editing drawings in the SVG file format. The program is available as both a web app and a desktop application for Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux-based operating systems.
The implementation of emojis on different platforms took place across a three-decade period, starting in the 1990s. Today, the exact appearance of emoji is not prescribed but can vary between fonts and platforms, much like different typefaces.
Create and edit scalable color fonts (supporting COLR, CPAL, and SVG tables)
FontLab will export all four formats
Or tap into the possibilities of color font formats: SVG, CPAL/COLR, sbix and classic layer fonts.