Inkvar, a new font editor we're developing

danielquisek
danielquisek Posts: 8
in Type Design Software
Hi all,

I wanted to share something we've been working on: Inkvar, a new font editor for type designers.

It's still in development, so we'd love to hear what you think. Tell us what you'd want from a new editor, which parts of your current workflow annoy you most, and anything that catches your eye on the site.

Thanks,
Daniel

Comments

  • Dave Crossland
    Dave Crossland Posts: 1,598
    It seems you plan to release this as proprietary software. How do you see this competing with both well established proprietary editors (GlyphsApp, Fontlab, RoboFont, FontCreator, etc) and other new editors (Fontra, Counterpunch, Runebender, ShiftApp, etc) that are libre software?
  • danielquisek
    danielquisek Posts: 8
    John, fair question. The short answer is that Inkvar is built around the cloud, a bit like Figma for type designers. Most font editors still treat a typeface as a file on one person's computer. Versions end up as "Final_v3_REAL.glyphs", teamwork means passing files around, and feedback arrives as screenshots with red circles on them. In Inkvar, the typeface lives in versions you can go back to or branch from. Your studio works in the same typeface and can see who's on which glyph. Feedback sits on the glyph itself: you point at the exact nodes, contour or area, or move the outline the way you'd have it, and the designer accepts or declines the change. On top of that, spacing and kerning are measured from the outlines for every master, and your manual tweaks survive the next respace.

    Dave, the core app works offline and will be free. What we'll charge for is the cloud side: versions, team collaboration and review, which is where we think the real value for studios is. You're not locked in either way. Inkvar opens and writes .glyphs, .glyphspackage, UFO and designspace files, an unchanged Glyphs file comes back byte for byte, and the shortcuts follow Glyphs, so it can sit alongside whatever you use now. I'm glad the libre editors are moving as well, because more choice is good for everyone.

    Daniel
  • Robin Mientjes
    Robin Mientjes Posts: 138
    Per forum rules, I believe Daniel should disclose his use of AI, for the website, these posts, and likely the app too.
  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 3,244
    edited November 11
    Besides Fontra Hive, this also sounds a lot like Counterpunch—perhaps with a bit more source control system built-in rather than integrating with Github and the like?

    This is not a bad thing at all—these are good features that until recently had never been done! I look forward to seeing more of it.

    And having edit suggestions stored down to the piece-of-glyph level sounds lovely, and maybe new!

    To what extent is Inkvar built with variable fonts in mind from the beginning? I am hoping that the “var” in the name comes from variable/variations.

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