How to Edit the Unique Font Identifier in FontForge

The Unique Font Identifier distinguishes a specific font release from other versions and prevents system-level font caching conflicts. In FontForge, this identifier—commonly stored as Name ID 3 in OpenType tables or as a UniqueID in PostScript data—can be modified directly through the Font Info dialog. This guide provides a direct, step-by-step walkthrough to locate, change, and save the Unique Font Identifier within your font files using FontForge.

Step 1: Open Your Font in FontForge

Launch FontForge and open the font file you wish to modify by selecting File > Open, locating your .otf, .ttf, or .sfd file, and clicking OK.

Step 2: Open the Font Info Window

Once the glyph matrix loads:

  1. Click on Element in the top menu bar.
  2. Select Font Info... from the dropdown menu (or press Ctrl+Shift+F on Windows/Linux, or Cmd+Shift+F on macOS).

Step 3: Edit OpenType/TrueType Unique ID (Name ID 3)

Most modern fonts use the OpenType Name Table to store identification data:

  1. In the left-hand sidebar of the Font Info window, click on TTF Names.
  2. Locate the row labeled Unique ID (this corresponds to OpenType Name ID 3).
  3. Double-click the text field in the String column adjacent to Unique ID.
  4. Enter your custom identifier string. Standard conventions typically follow a format such as: Creator: Font Name Version: Year or Version;VendorID;FontName.
  5. If the field is locked or automatically generated, ensure you delete any outdated auto-generated string so FontForge accepts your manual entry.

Step 4: Edit PostScript UniqueID (Optional)

If you are generating PostScript or Type 1 fonts, you may also need to update the PostScript-specific identifier:

  1. In the left-hand sidebar of the Font Info window, click on PS Names.
  2. Look for the UniqueID field.
  3. Enter a unique integer value (typically between 4,000,000 and 4,999,999 to avoid conflicting with standard Adobe font IDs), or clear the field entirely if you want modern rasterizers to ignore legacy PostScript caching.

Step 5: Save and Export the Font

  1. Click the OK button at the bottom of the Font Info dialog to apply your changes.
  2. Go to File > Generate Fonts... (or press Ctrl+Shift+G / Cmd+Shift+G).
  3. Choose your desired output format (such as OpenType CFF or TrueType) and click Generate to export the updated font file.