Generate PostScript Hints Automatically in FontForge

FontForge provides built-in tools to automate the hinting process, ensuring PostScript fonts render crisply on low-resolution displays without requiring manual stem adjustments. This guide explains how to automatically generate PostScript horizontal and vertical hints across an entire typeface or for specific glyphs, configure essential global font dimensions, and verify the results.

Step 1: Select the Target Glyphs

Open your font project in FontForge. In the Font View window, select the glyphs you want to hint:

  • To hint the entire font, choose Edit > Select > Select All (or press Ctrl+A / Cmd+A).
  • To hint specific characters, hold Ctrl (or Cmd on macOS) and click the individual glyph cells.

Step 2: Clear Existing Hints (Optional)

If your font already contains outdated or conflicting hints, clear them before generating new ones:

  1. Navigate to the top menu and click Hints.
  2. Select Clear Hints.

Step 3: Run the AutoHint Tool

With the glyphs selected, generate the PostScript hints:

  1. Go to Hints in the menu bar.
  2. Click AutoHint (shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+H / Cmd+Shift+H).

FontForge will analyze the outlines, detect dominant horizontal and vertical stems, and apply PostScript hstem and vstem hint data to each selected glyph.

Step 4: Generate Global PostScript Values

PostScript hinting relies on standard stem widths and alignment zones (known as BlueValues) defined in the font's Private Dictionary. To generate these automatically:

  1. Navigate to Element > Font Info.
  2. In the left sidebar, select PS Private.
  3. Click the Guess button next to parameters like StdHW (Standard Horizontal Width), StdVW (Standard Vertical Width), and BlueValues. FontForge will calculate these values based on the outlines in your font.
  4. Click OK to save the settings.

Step 5: Verify the Hints

To inspect the generated hints visually:

  1. Double-click any glyph in the Font View to open it in the Glyph Outline window.
  2. Ensure hinting display is enabled by selecting View > Show Hints.
  3. The horizontal and vertical hints will appear as shaded bars across the glyph's stems.