How to Embed Copyright Notices in FontForge

Embedding copyright notices in your font files ensures that your intellectual property and licensing terms remain attached to the font software wherever it is installed. This guide provides a straightforward walkthrough on how to input copyright, trademark, and licensing metadata into your font project using FontForge before exporting it into standard formats like TTF or OTF.

Step 1: Open Font Info

Launch FontForge and open your font project (.sfd file). Once open, access the metadata settings by navigating to the top menu and selecting Element > Font Info, or by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + F (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + F (macOS).

In the Font Info dialog window, select the PS Names category from the sidebar on the left.

  1. Locate the Copyright field.
  2. Enter your full copyright declaration (for example: Copyright (c) 2026 Your Name. All rights reserved.).
  3. If applicable, fill in the Comments field with additional ownership or design notes.

Step 3: Configure OpenType / TrueType Names

Most modern platforms read font metadata from OpenType tables rather than PostScript names. To ensure your copyright information appears across all operating systems:

  1. In the sidebar of the Font Info window, click on TTF Names.
  2. Locate the row labeled Copyright (Name ID 0).
  3. Double-click the corresponding value field and input your copyright string.
  4. If the field is not present, click the Add... button, choose Copyright from the dropdown menu, select the language (typically English (US)), and enter your text.

Step 4: Add Licensing and Trademark Information

While still in the TTF Names tab, you can populate additional legal fields to protect your work:

  • Trademark (Name ID 7): Enter any registered or common law trademark information associated with the font name.
  • License Description (Name ID 13): Summarize your usage terms or paste the full text of an open-source license, such as the SIL Open Font License.
  • License Info URL (Name ID 14): Provide a direct web address pointing to the full license text online.

Click OK at the bottom of the Font Info dialog to save your changes to the project.

Step 5: Export the Font

Once the metadata is configured, generate your final font binaries:

  1. Go to File > Generate Fonts... (or press Ctrl + Shift + G / Cmd + Shift + G).
  2. Choose your preferred output format, such as TrueType (.ttf) or OpenType (CFF) (.otf).
  3. Click Generate to export your font.

The exported font file will now permanently contain your embedded copyright notices and licensing details within its internal naming tables.