Can • GIMP Chat

sallyanne · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2021 6:23 am **(#1)**

GIMP Version: 2.10.22
Operating System: Windows
OS Version: 10 Home 64 bit
GIMP Experience: New User

Can a true type font be made in gimp?

Nidhogg · **Posted:** Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:04 am **(#2)**

You need font editor to create the .ttf file. FontForge is one of the most popular free programs for that task.
In theory I guess you could make the glyphs using Gimp path tool, and exporting them to svg but I strongly advice not to.
I would make the glyphs in Inkscape. Inkscape 1.0 includes a svg font editor.

https://inkscape-manuals.readthedocs.io ... fonts.html

Funny...fonts have been important part of my work since 1995 but I didn't know .ttf was created by a finn who worked for Apple in 1980s.

sallyanne · **Posted:** Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:21 am **(#3)**

Thank you Nidhogg

Wallace · **Posted:** Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:57 pm **(#4)**

I used GIMP to create the first draft of a font that I made.
Then used inkscape to create paths.
Once I had all the paths together.
I imported the file into FontForge to do all the kerning.

I've also made other fonts this way,
but I'm pretty sure I'm doing it the hard way.
:hehe

GIMP doesn't support importing and exporting of ttf. font files.

sallyanne · **Posted:** Fri Apr 02, 2021 6:04 pm **(#5)**

Thanks Wallace. I thought you also made a 'pipe' font?

Wallace · **Posted:** Fri Apr 02, 2021 7:23 pm **(#6)**

sallyanne wrote:

Thanks Wallace. I thought you also made a 'pipe' font?

Yes, it was called "Pipeline" and it was for the PhotoFont plugin.
Photofont Start/PHF Photofont installer 2.0 (PSPPI-2.0)

There were also brushes made of all the "pipeline" shapes use to create the photofont.
Pipeline Construction Brushes (Fully Updated)

Issabella · **Posted:** Sat Apr 03, 2021 4:59 am **(#7)**

Wallace, I remember when you did the custom font. Awesome work of you. :tyspin

Nidhogg · **Posted:** Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:18 am **(#8)**

Wallace wrote:

[align=center][font=Georgia]I used GIMP to create the first draft of a font that I made.
Then used inkscape to create paths.
Once I had all the paths together.
I imported the file into FontForge to do all the kerning.

I've also made other fonts this way,
but I'm pretty sure I'm doing it the hard way.
:hehe

[ Image ]

[ Image ]

Looks pretty good. :jumpclap

I would decrease word spacing a bit (personal taste), and edit kerning of some individual letters like the small q.
You can notice the space between q and u in the word quick.

Wallace · **Posted:** Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:29 am **(#9)**

Issabella wrote:

Wallace, I remember when you did the custom font. Awesome work of you. :tyspin

Muchas gracias!

Nidhogg wrote:

Looks pretty good. :jumpclap

I would decrease word spacing a bit (personal taste), and edit kerning of some individual letters like the small q.
You can notice the space between q and u in the word quick.

Thank you.
You are correct.
Unfortunately it was very involved to create and will remains as is.
Unless someone other then myself, wishes to fiddle with it.

meetdilip · **Joined:** Nov 19, 2019 **Posts:** 209

Hi, Font Forge is not able to deduce glyphs like this made using Inkscape 1.0. It calls it self intersecting. Is there any method or software to create a font out of such glyphs stored as SVG ?

rich2005 · **Joined:** Mar 04, 2011 **Posts:** 2599

I do not think you will get away with it that easy

Remember for a font the direction of the path is important, clockwise for the body, anticlockwise for the 'holes'

Revisited birdfont, at least they have the light theme back again. A quick single character from Inkscape, Into birdfont, much scaling and fiddling, export as a strange one character ttf font.

Attachment:

font.jpg [ 86.86 KiB | Viewed 1211 times ]

meetdilip · **Joined:** Nov 19, 2019 **Posts:** 209

Thanks @rich2005

I have seen a few dotted fonts on those free fonts websites. I am simply confused about how to proceed. Do I have to create the characters/glyphs some other way ?

I tried using FontForge AppImage. Will try BirdFont. Appreciate the suggestion.