Understanding the FontForge Main Menu Bar

This guide provides an overview of the primary menus located on the main menu bar of FontForge, the open-source font editor. Navigating the main Font View window is essential for managing font projects, modifying glyphs, and configuring technical font parameters. Below is a breakdown of each primary menu and its core functions within the software.

File Menu

The File menu handles project-level operations and file I/O. Key capabilities include:

  • New / Open: Create new font files or load existing font formats (SFD, TTF, OTF, WOFF).
  • Save / Save As: Store font databases in native FontForge format (.sfd).
  • Generate Fonts: Compile vector drawings and metadata into installable binary formats (TrueType, OpenType, SVG, etc.).
  • Import / Export: Bring in external artwork (such as EPS, SVG) or export individual glyph outlines.
  • Execute Script: Run FontForge Python or native scripts directly.

Edit Menu

The Edit menu provides standard manipulation and selection utilities across the font grid:

  • Undo / Redo: Step backward or forward through glyph and project edits.
  • Cut, Copy, and Paste: Duplicate glyph shapes, references, or metadata from one slot to another.
  • Copy Reference: Link identical glyph designs without duplicating outline data.
  • Select: Choose glyphs based on specific criteria, such as changed glyphs, untransformed glyphs, or by script range.

View Menu

The View menu customizes how glyph slots and character sets are displayed on the main grid:

  • Fit To Window / Zoom: Adjust the scaling of glyph preview cells.
  • Show Information: Toggle displays for character names, Unicode codepoints, or glyph images.
  • Layers: Select which outline layers (Foreground, Background, or custom layers) are visible in the font view.
  • Goto: Quickly navigate to a specific character by Unicode value, character name, or glyph index.

Element Menu

The Element menu houses global font properties and batch vector transformations:

  • Font Info: The central dialog for editing font naming, metadata, OS/2 metrics, Panose settings, and OpenType features.
  • Transform: Scale, rotate, skew, or flip selected glyphs simultaneously.
  • Simplify & Add Extrema: Optimize vector paths by reducing node count and ensuring points exist at horizontal/vertical extremes.
  • Overlap: Perform Boolean operations, such as removing overlaps to create clean composite shapes.
  • Validation: Run automated checks to detect errors such as self-intersecting paths, missing points, or invalid contours.

Hints Menu

The Hints menu controls hinting settings that optimize how fonts render at low resolutions and small screen sizes:

  • AutoHint: Automatically generate PostScript hints across selected glyphs.
  • AutoInstr: Generate TrueType instructions for grid-fitting.
  • Clear Hints / Instructions: Remove existing hint parameters from target glyphs.
  • Hint Setup: Configure global snapping thresholds and stem widths.

Encoding Menu

The Encoding menu controls the character mapping and codepage assigned to the font:

  • Reencode: Reassign glyph positions according to standards like Unicode (BMP, Full), ISO-8859, or custom encodings.
  • Force Encoding: Map existing glyphs into a designated character set without moving outlines.
  • Add Encoding Slots: Append unencoded slots to store custom alternates, ligatures, or components.

Window Menu

The Window menu manages workspace arrangements across multiple open editors:

  • Open Windows List: Switch focus between the Font View, Metrics View, Outline Glyph Windows, and Bitmap Windows.
  • New Metrics Window: Open a dedicated editor for kerning, side bearings, and tracking adjustments.

Help Menu

The Help menu provides reference materials and software information:

  • Documentation: Launch local or online documentation explaining tools, OpenType features, and font creation concepts.
  • About FontForge: View software version details, build dates, and licensing credentials.