Using FontForge Freehand Tool for Organic Drawing

FontForge includes a built-in Freehand tool that allows designers to draw organic, expressive shapes directly on the glyph canvas. While it provides an intuitive way to sketch with a mouse or graphics tablet, freehand input naturally generates an excessive number of Bézier control points that can cause jagged outlines and poor font rendering. Understanding how to draw with the tool, expand your strokes, and simplify your paths is essential for turning raw organic sketches into clean, production-ready typography.

How to Use the Freehand Tool

To access the Freehand tool, open any glyph in the Outline View and select the Freehand icon (resembling a freehand curve) from the Tools palette, or press its corresponding keyboard shortcut. Click and drag across the canvas using a mouse or drawing tablet to create spontaneous, fluid curves.

By default, the Freehand tool creates open paths that follow the exact movement of your cursor. Double-clicking the Freehand tool icon in the palette opens its settings, where you can adjust the stroke width and pen type to simulate different drawing implements, such as flat calligraphic nibs or circular brushes.

Managing Point Density

The primary drawback of drawing organically in FontForge is node density. The tool places points rapidly as you move your hand, resulting in irregular curves and bloated file sizes. Digital fonts require clean, minimal Bézier curves with on-curve points positioned primarily at extrema (the highest, lowest, leftmost, and rightmost points of a curve).

To fix excessive nodes after drawing:

  1. Select the drawn path.
  2. Navigate to Element > Simplify > Simplify (or press Ctrl+Shift+M) to automatically reduce redundant points while preserving the overall shape.
  3. Apply Element > Add Extrema to ensure the remaining points align with standard font geometry practices.
  4. Manually inspect and adjust the curve handles to smooth out any residual bumps.

Expanding Strokes into Outlines

Because the Freehand tool produces single open strokes, you must convert these lines into closed contours before exporting your font. Fonts cannot render open lines.

To convert your strokes into filled shapes, select the path and choose Element > Expand Stroke. In the dialog that appears, define your desired stroke width, cap types (flat, round, or bevel), and join styles. Once expanded, run Element > Overlap > Remove Overlap to fuse intersecting segments into a single, cohesive contour.

Best Practice Alternatives

While the Freehand tool is convenient for quick experimentation, many type designers prefer sketching organically outside of FontForge. A common alternative is importing a scanned sketch into the glyph's Background layer via View > Layers > Back followed by File > Import. This allows you to trace your organic curves manually using the standard Bézier Pen tool, giving you complete control over node placement and curve tension from the start.