New font editor announcement: Counterpunch, also in Alpha ;)

yanone · March 3

Introducing Counterpunch, a next-generation font editor that runs directly in your browser.

Inspired by the counterpunch, a traditional punch-cutting tool from the metal type era, this modern digital type design tool introduces vital concepts such as full bidirectional complex script shaping, in-place component editing, code-driven dynamic glyph filters, and a digital assistant that streamlines everyday font engineering tasks.

For those who have grown weary of the repetitive edit-compile-test cycle of traditional font editors, Counterpunch offers a welcome solution. The editor provides a genuine what-you-see-is-what-you-get experience, where the editor rendering is 100% consistent with the end product that users would see in browsers, design applications, or text processors. This eliminates the frustration of dealing with vowel marks or complex contextual substitutions and positioning that do not display as expected in the editor.

Counterpunch is fully open-source, licensed under the GPLv3 license, which ensures that it will remain free from commercial exploitation.

Although the editor is currently in its alpha stage, with many features still in development, it is already a valuable tool for debugging and analysis. You can load your existing font sources and utilize the assistant and dynamic glyph filters to examine them with greater confidence and in unprecedented detail.

Counterpunch comes with Python scripting out-of-the-box, and the assistant can catch and repair your broken Python scripts and even translate your established scripts from other editors to work with the Counterpunch object model. It’s self-healing user code.

A fully functional Public Beta is expected for late spring, and the release of the finished product is slated for October 2026.

While the editor is free to use for everyone and without registration, the Counterpunch project operates a paid monthly subscription to use the assistant. With prices varying by country to make the tool universally accessible, you’re getting state-of-the-art font engineering at your fingertips while supporting the growth of the project financially.

“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.” – Marshall McLuhan

Counterpunch has a whole lot of future product ideas lined-up. Stay tuned and follow along for the ride.

The editor is currently in Alpha stage with many features not yet implemented, and correct display depends on compatibility with fontc, Google Font’s new font compiler.

Here’s a small teaser video: