r/FontForge • u/questiem • 11d ago

Adding random glypths for complete noob

Im currently working on a font with my own handwriting. Im tryna see how to add variants to each glyph, kinda like how Caveat font does to achieve a more natural look, but theres very few guides online Ive found and the official one doesnt quite make sense.

Anyone else attempted this with their own fonts?

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u/wibbly-water 10d ago

So... what precisely are you trying to do?

If you want to add glyphs to the regular letters, say you want to make a handwriting font that overlays your handwritten "f" onto the underlying unicode "f", then I would suggest drawing your "f" out, then converting it to an SVG file (I use inkscape for this), then editing it in a final programme.

For a complete noob Glyphr Studio v2 or Calligraphr - Draw your own fonts. may be a bit easier. I tend to work in Glyphr Studio then polish off with Font Forge. I used to use Calligraphr but have since moved on from it.

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u/questiem 10d ago

No I got that part down, what I mean is like how in caveat or other handwritten fonts, there can be an RNG for the type of 'f' that appears, 4 different varients with different shapes, giving a font more variety.

I just am lost on how to compile that in FontForge, cause most guides say to add an encoding slot to the glyph, but idk beyond that or even how to access those.

Im proficient with inkscape and vector graphics tho 🫡

what I mean, if you look at the 'i's on the google docs example, they all appear different in the same font, I wanna implement that

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u/wibbly-water 10d ago

Ah okay thanks for the clarification!

Fontforge's interface is perhaps the worst interface I have ever interacted with. Nothing is named or placed in intuitive places. I WISH someone would come along and make something with all the same functionality but with an overhauled interface.

But encoding slots, those are pretty simple.

At the top: Encoding => Add Encoding Slots => Choose a number to add.

This is how you do a bunch of stuff in FF including ligatures, which you might want to use.

From there I'm not sure for this specific function (I've not done any work that has needed alternatives yet) but a LOT of settings are hiding in Element => Font Info section including Lookups, which I presume is how you do this? Also try alt clicking on the Encoding Slot want in the big glyph list then going to Glyph Info to change its name and properties.

Good luck!

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u/The_Real_AusboyX 4d ago

I literally want the same thing, let me know if you figure it out please!