How to Add Font Notes and Description in FontForge

Adding metadata, designer credits, and descriptions to a font in FontForge ensures your work is properly attributed and documented when installed on any operating system. This guide walks you through navigating FontForge's Font Info settings to insert designer notes, license details, and font descriptions directly into the font's OpenType/TrueType metadata tables.

Step 1: Open the Font Info Window

  1. Launch FontForge and open your font file (.sfd, .ttf, or .otf).
  2. Go to the top menu and select Element.
  3. Click on Font Info from the drop-down menu (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + F on Windows/Linux, or Cmd + Shift + F on macOS).

Step 2: Add Public Metadata via TTF Names

To make your notes, descriptions, and designer information visible to font management utilities and operating systems, you must add them to the TTF Names table:

  1. In the Font Info window, look at the sidebar on the left and select TTF Names.
  2. Locate the list of standardized metadata fields. To add designer and description text, look for the following entries:
    • Designer: Enter your name or the name of the foundry.
    • Designer URL: Enter your portfolio or foundry website link.
    • Description: Add a paragraph describing the font, its history, or design inspiration.
    • License Description: Add details about the font's usage rights (e.g., SIL Open Font License, proprietary).
  3. If a field is blank, double-click the empty space under the String column next to the field name and type or paste your text.
  4. If a specific field does not appear in the list, click the Add button at the bottom, choose the desired field from the drop-down menu (such as "Description" or "Designer"), and enter your text.

Step 3: Add Private Source Notes (Optional)

If you want to keep internal designer notes inside your working source file (.sfd) without embedding them into the compiled .ttf or .otf file:

  1. In the Font Info sidebar, click on Comments.
  2. Type any personal development notes, versioning history, or reminders directly into the text box.
  3. These comments remain in the native .sfd file for your reference during design work.

Step 4: Save and Generate the Font

  1. Click OK at the bottom of the Font Info window to apply your changes.
  2. Go to File > Save to save the source project.
  3. To export the font with the new metadata embedded, go to File > Generate Fonts, choose your desired format (TrueType or OpenType), and click Generate.