Linux users may not have a plethora of fonts, but there are many lovely and usable fonts. Different Linux fonts are supplied with different Linux distros.
A computer font is implemented as a digital data file containing a set of graphically related glyphs. A computer font is designed and created using a font editor.
Most computer fonts are in either bitmap or outline data formats. Bitmap fonts consist of a matrix of dots or pixels representing the image of each glyph in each face and size. Outline or vector fonts use Bézier curves, drawing instructions and mathematical formulae to describe each glyph, which make the character outlines scalable to any size.
This article focuses on the finest tools to edit fonts. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion.
Here’s our verdict captured in a LinuxLinks-style chart. We only feature free and open source software in this article.
Let’s explore the 12 font editors at hand. For each application we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, a screenshot, together with links to relevant resources.
| Font Editors | |
|---|---|
| FontForge | Create and modify postscript, truetype and opentype fonts |
| fontTools | Library to manipulate font files from Python |
| Birdfont | Vala based font editor |
| Glyphr Studio | Aimed at typeface design beginners and hobbyists |
| Fontra | Browser-based font editor |
| ftcli | Command line interface built with click to edit fonts using fontTools |
| Ygt | Graphical TypeType hinting program |
| Slice | Create custom font design spaces |
| TruFont | Streamlined and hackable font editor |
| monobit | Collection of tools for working with bitmap fonts |
| Modular Font Editor K | Glyph editor for the Modular Font Editor K project |
| bited | Bitmap font editor for monochrome Unicode BDF fonts |
This article has been updated to reflect the changes outlined in our recent announcement.
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