How to Set Font Version Number in FontForge

Updating the font version number in FontForge is essential for managing releases, tracking revisions, and preventing font-cache conflicts on user systems. This guide explains how to navigate FontForge’s metadata settings to accurately update both the human-readable font version string and the technical font revision number across the PostScript, TrueType, and OpenType tables.

1. Open the Font Info Window

  1. Open your font project in FontForge (.sfd, .ttf, or .otf).
  2. Navigate to the top menu and select Element > Font Info, or press Ctrl + Shift + F (Cmd + Shift + F on macOS).

2. Set the PostScript Version

  1. In the sidebar on the left side of the Font Info dialog, click on PS Names.
  2. Locate the Version field.
  3. Enter your version number string. Font standard conventions typically use format strings like 1.000 or 0.1 (major.minor).

3. Update the OpenType/TrueType Font Revision

  1. In the sidebar, select General.
  2. Locate the Font Revision field (which maps to the OpenType head table's fontRevision).
  3. Enter the decimal equivalent of your version, such as 1.0 or 1.05. This value must be a floating-point number rather than text.

4. Update the TTF Names Version String

  1. In the sidebar, select TTF Names.
  2. Look through the list for the name ID titled Version.
  3. FontForge often generates this automatically based on your PS Names Version entry, usually formatting it as Version 1.000.
  4. If you need to customize the exact string, double-click the Version entry in the list and enter your custom string (e.g., Version 1.002;build 2024).

5. Save and Generate

  1. Click OK at the bottom of the Font Info dialog to apply your changes.
  2. Save your FontForge source file via File > Save.
  3. Export your updated font binary by navigating to File > Generate Fonts... and compiling your desired format (OTF, TTF, or WOFF).