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    • Suited program

    Posts: 6
    in Font Technology
    Hi. I am looking for a suited program to export my font to a TrueType (or other format). I have made already made the font in illustrator, so all I need is to put the letters right and get it exported. I have earlier worked in FontCreator, but since I now work on a Mac it is not compatible. I also realised I may not need a full version professional edition program since I use Illustrator for the design, but I do not know. I am an amateur, but I have great faith in my font, so I would like no commercial restrictions or so:) What du you recommend?
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    Comments

    • Posts: 2,006
      If you’re just creating one font without OpenType features Glyphs Mini is all you’ll need.
    • Posts: 678
      This should get you started: https://glyphsapp.com/tutorials/importing-from-illustrator-into-glyphs-mini
    • Posts: 6
      Thanks you guys :)
    • Posts: 2,954
      Also, just a fair warning that there is a LOT to be done after importing the letters into a font editor. In all likelihood, outlines will need correcting once they have snapped to the font UPM grid. Plus, there is spacing and kerning!
    • Posts: 154
      While I wouldn't recommend it for professional type design, FontSelf might be your easiest option here. It's an illustrator plug-in, and I believe only about $50.
    • Posts: 168
      edited August 2020
      To reiterate Thomas’ point: Drawing a set of letterforms in Illustrator accounts for maybe 20% of the work that goes into a decent typeface. And that’s a very generous estimate. Spacing isn’t something you tack on after the fact – it is the most important part of the drawing. Type design is all about modifying letterforms – and the spaces they carve, inside and out – to weave a consistent pattern in all imaginable permutations.
    • Posts: 91
      Frode Helland said:
      To reiterate Thomas’ point: Drawing a set of letterforms in Illustrator accounts for maybe 20% of the work that goes into a decent typeface. And that’s a very generous estimate. Spacing isn’t something you tack on after the fact – it is the most important part of the drawing. Type design is all about modifying letterforms – and the spaces they carve, inside and out – to weave a consistent pattern in all imaginable permutations.
      The OP has said "I have made already made the font" so possibly the horizontal and vertical spacing are already defined somewhere.

    • Posts: 168
      edited August 2020
      My point is that there is a huge gap between what a graphic designer think is involved in “making a font”, and what type design actually is. 
    • Posts: 168
      edited August 2020
      @Piotr Grochowski Your comment unintentionally underlines my point. You talk about the spacing as something that is defined separate from the letterforms – a set of values listed “somewhere” else. I argue that the spacing is something that directly affects the letterforms and cannot be decoupled from them: i.e. changes in spacing is reflected in internal dimensions and distances within each letterform.

      A very basic example: Changing the distance between two i’s also changes how far the tittle appears to sit above them.
    • Posts: 91
      Frode Helland said:
      @Piotr Grochowski Your comment unintentionally underlines my point. You talk about the spacing as something that is defined separate from the letterforms – a set of values listed “somewhere” else. I argue that the spacing is something that directly affects the letterforms and cannot be decoupled from them: i.e. changes in spacing is reflected in internal dimensions and distances within each letterform.

      A very basic example: Changing the distance between two i’s also changes how far the tittle appears to sit above them.
      I did not mean the spacing is defined separately. It could just as well have been defined within the glyphs.

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