Adobe Illustrator this is my font now what?
June 9, 2011 12:52 PM Subscribe
I designed a typeface using Illustrator CS5. Now I want to use it.
I have my 26 objects, the letters. Is there a way to tell illustrator: these objects are my letters, now write them when I press the keys? Of course there is. I just can't find it. Help me please! I don't own specific font design software, just illustrator.
I have my 26 objects, the letters. Is there a way to tell illustrator: these objects are my letters, now write them when I press the keys? Of course there is. I just can't find it. Help me please! I don't own specific font design software, just illustrator.
Response by poster: shoot. I was hoping I could do it all exclusively on illustrator.
posted by buck:fuller at 12:57 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by buck:fuller at 12:57 PM on June 9, 2011
The only way to do it in Illustrator (that I know of) is to hand set each letter. If you're just doing a headline or something, it's not a big deal, but if you're using it for body copy, yeah, font making program.
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 1:04 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by monkey!knife!fight! at 1:04 PM on June 9, 2011
It looks like you can make an SVG font in Inkscape, as per here. You probably could do the same in Illustrator (I don't have it, so I don't know.) Then convert the SVG to Truetype via the Online Font Converter.
Love to know how this works out.
posted by Marky at 1:23 PM on June 9, 2011
Love to know how this works out.
posted by Marky at 1:23 PM on June 9, 2011
If you don't want to use proper font design software, perhaps you could use one of these 'turn your handwriting into a custom font' services, such as YourFonts or Fontifier. They provide a template which you're supposed to print out and then write each letter into the proper field, then scan it in and upload it, at which point they give you a font file. You may be able to open the PDF in Illustrator, and assemble it that way. I think they used to be free, but they appear to now be around $10; you may be able to find a similar free alternative.
Alternatively, you might check out FontForge.
posted by mistikle at 1:29 PM on June 9, 2011
Alternatively, you might check out FontForge.
posted by mistikle at 1:29 PM on June 9, 2011
FontForge is free and can import outlines made in Illustrator. Here's a walkthrough. FontForge has a steep learning curve but it definitely works.
posted by zsazsa at 10:03 PM on June 9, 2011
posted by zsazsa at 10:03 PM on June 9, 2011
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Here are some supposedly free knock offs that should do what you want: http://download.cnet.com/windows/font-tools/?tag=bc
posted by Gucky at 12:56 PM on June 9, 2011