newbie QUESTION: Creating pixel fonts

In article ,
says…

Any way I can create pixel fonts using just Photoshop? If I need to get some kind of font-creation software, which should I get? Thanks

Scratch first question – what’s a good tutorial for creating pixel fonts?

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:48:47 GMT, Zing Wren
wrote:

Any way I can create pixel fonts using just Photoshop? If I need to get some kind of font-creation software, which should I get? Thanks

First, No. Photoshop is not for creating fonts.

Second I would not use the term "pixel fonts" that has no meaning. And if you’re talking about bitmap fonts then unless that’s for some specialized purpose of which I’m not aware, I’d give up on bothering.

What it sounds like you are after is a program that allows you to create actual fonts (which btw are sort of vector graphics). Though you do say "IF I need…" and my conjecture would be that if you don’t know if you need then you really don’t need a font creation program.

While there a few programs available (and btw a simple Google search would have revealed that to you), I would advise against bothering with them.

If you will be using the fonts professionally, then buy the professional version of the fonts. And if you need to modify a font (like for a logo), then place the required characters in a similarly designed font into Illustrator, convert the characters to outlines and then transform them the way you want them to look.

If you simply want fonts for home-type projects, then there are a lot of free fonts on the web and you can download till you fill up your drive.

— JC

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:48:47 GMT, Zing Wren
wrote:

Any way I can create pixel fonts using just Photoshop? If I need to get some kind of font-creation software, which should I get? Thanks

First, No. Photoshop is not for creating fonts.

Second I would not use the term "pixel fonts" that has no meaning. And if you’re talking about bitmap fonts then unless that’s for some specialized purpose of which I’m not aware, I’d give up on bothering.
What it sounds like you are after is a program that allows you to create actual fonts (which btw are sort of vector graphics). Though you do say "IF I need…" and my conjecture would be that if you don’t know if you need then you really don’t need a font creation program.
While there a few programs available (and btw a simple Google search would have revealed that to you), I would advise against bothering with them.

If you will be using the fonts professionally, then buy the professional version of the fonts. And if you need to modify a font (like for a logo), then place the required characters in a similarly designed font into Illustrator, convert the characters to outlines and then transform them the way you want them to look.

If you simply want fonts for home-type projects, then there are a lot of free fonts on the web and you can download till you fill up your drive.

— JC

I just did a "simple Google search" for "pixel fonts" and discovered 9,570 references, which is extraordinary for a term that "has no meaning".

J C wrote:

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:48:47 GMT, Zing Wren
wrote:

Any way I can create pixel fonts using just Photoshop? If I need to get some kind of font-creation software, which should I get? Thanks

First, No. Photoshop is not for creating fonts.

Second I would not use the term "pixel fonts" that has no meaning. And if you’re talking about bitmap fonts then unless that’s for some specialized purpose of which I’m not aware, I’d give up on bothering.
What it sounds like you are after is a program that allows you to create actual fonts (which btw are sort of vector graphics). Though you do say "IF I need…" and my conjecture would be that if you don’t know if you need then you really don’t need a font creation program.
While there a few programs available (and btw a simple Google search would have revealed that to you), I would advise against bothering with them.

If you will be using the fonts professionally, then buy the professional version of the fonts. And if you need to modify a font (like for a logo), then place the required characters in a similarly designed font into Illustrator, convert the characters to outlines and then transform them the way you want them to look.

If you simply want fonts for home-type projects, then there are a lot of free fonts on the web and you can download till you fill up your drive.

— JC

Pixel/bitmap fonts can come in very handy if you work for on-screen stuff (like websites) and if you require only a limited number of sizes. It usually doesn’t support anti-aliasing or any kind of smoothing, so it’s not too good for sizes above 12pt (that’s IMO, of course).

If you want to make fonts, start with calligraphy lessons. (You can also scan the letter you write and TRACE with Corel Trace, import into CorelDraw and export as TTF.) Then get a vector drawing software and a font prog (like FontLab). Mind you, most of the software you need in order to make actual fonts is pretty darn expensive.

If you want to construct fonts, progs like AutoCAD are the best bet. You can import the glyphs you design with it into Adobe Illy and do some preps before you load them into FontLab or Fontographer, or any other prog that can import vectors. FontLab imports EPS files but can also accept copy-paste from Illy (this is how I work). It has generate bitmap option which may be what you’re looking for if you want bitmap fonts. Avoid progs that import WMF. These are pain to work with. Font Creation Program seems to import WMF only.

—
Branko Vukelic ()

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 17:11:11 +1000, "max morrison" wrote:

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:48:47 GMT, Zing Wren
wrote:

I just did a "simple Google search" for "pixel fonts" and discovered 9,570 references, which is extraordinary for a term that "has no meaning".

So you’re saying that you trust everything you read on the net? The correct term is bitmap font. Not pixel.

— JC

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 17:11:11 +1000, "max morrison" wrote:

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:48:47 GMT, Zing Wren
wrote:

I just did a "simple Google search" for "pixel fonts" and discovered

9,570

references, which is extraordinary for a term that "has no meaning".

So you’re saying that you trust everything you read on the net? The correct term is bitmap font. Not pixel.

— JC

It’s ironic that you’re using the net to tell us this.

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 17:11:11 +1000, "max morrison" wrote:

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:48:47 GMT, Zing Wren
wrote:

I just did a "simple Google search" for "pixel fonts" and discovered

9,570

references, which is extraordinary for a term that "has no meaning".

So you’re saying that you trust everything you read on the net? The correct term is bitmap font. Not pixel.

— JC

Been thinking about this while mowing the lawn (a mindless activity which is ideal for thinking through insignificant matters). You’re correct! You can’t have a font made from a single pixel — unless it’s a very tiny full stop / dot / period. You need to combine pixels into the shapes of the characters, and a collection of pixels is a bitmap. So, yes, the correct term is "bitmap font", as you say.

"max morrison" wrote in message

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 17:11:11 +1000, "max morrison" wrote:

"J C" wrote in message

On Fri, 09 Jan 2004 01:48:47 GMT, Zing Wren

wrote:

I just did a "simple Google search" for "pixel fonts" and discovered

9,570

references, which is extraordinary for a term that "has no meaning".

So you’re saying that you trust everything you read on the net? The correct term is bitmap font. Not pixel.

— JC

Been thinking about this while mowing the lawn (a mindless activity which is ideal for thinking through insignificant matters). You’re correct! You can’t have a font made from a single pixel — unless it’s a very tiny full stop / dot / period. You need to combine pixels into the shapes of the characters, and a collection of pixels is a bitmap. So, yes, the correct term is "bitmap font", as you say.

And it follows that the term "apple farm" is incorrect, unless the farmer is growing a single apple.

J C wrote:

Second I would not use the term "pixel fonts" that has no meaning. And if you’re talking about bitmap fonts then unless that’s for some specialized purpose of which I’m not aware, I’d give up on bothering.

While your right photoshop is not the place to create type glyphs of fonts. I think your being difficult about the use of "pixel fonts". Yes, fonts are generally bitmaps, however I’m guessing Zing Wren is talking about "pixel" fonts like mini7 and such which are the webs equivalent of fixed width fonts, i.e. 1 on-screen resolution pixel is represented by 1 dot in the font.
http://www.wpdfd.com/pixelfonts.htm

there is also have a definite use:
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/mobile/articles/nokia_resou rces.html See "Step 6: Use pixel fonts"

Sorry i don’t have an online tutorial, but the other suggestions in this thread were pretty good.

—
Regards
Christopher Dillon
Onemouse .-‘
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