TruFont

TruFont

TruFont is an open-source font editor for Linux, Windows and macOS that allows users to create and edit TrueType and OpenType fonts. It has tools for drawing glyphs, kerning, metrics and inserting advanced typographic features.
TruFont image
font-editor truetype opentype glyphs kerning metrics typography

TruFont: Open-Source Font Editor for Linux, Windows, and macOS

TruFont is an open-source font editor for Linux, Windows and macOS that allows users to create and edit TrueType and OpenType fonts.

What is TruFont?

TruFont is a free, open-source font editor for Linux, Windows and macOS operating systems. It provides a graphical interface for designing and modifying TrueType and OpenType fonts.

Some key features of TruFont include:

  • Tools for drawing vector-based glyph outlines
  • On-canvas glyph editing with rotation, scaling, guidelines and grids
  • Flexible spacing and kerning adjustments between glyph pairs
  • Control over font metrics like ascenders, descenders, cap height and x-height
  • Insertion of OpenType layout features like ligatures, small caps and more
  • Python scripting support for automating tasks
  • Support for hinting glyphs for optimized rendering on screens

TruFont aims to provide an accessible font editing tool for typographers, designers and programmers. Its focus is on enabling fine-tuned control over typographic details and OpenType functionality compared to basic font creators. The software is customizable and extensible via Python plugins.

While not as full-featured as commercial offerings like FontLab or Glyphs, TruFont provides an capable free option for hobbyist font designers and tinkerers looking to make their own fonts. It runs on multiple platforms, focused on font quality and precision.

TruFont Features

Features

  1. Drawing tools for designing glyphs
  2. Kerning and metrics editing
  3. Support for TrueType and OpenType fonts
  4. Python scripting interface
  5. Unicode character set support
  6. Glyph substitution and positioning
  7. Font hinting capabilities
  8. Export to common font formats

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform availability

Powerful typographic features

Customizable and extensible via Python scripts

Active development community

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited documentation

Not as full-featured as some commercial font editors


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