font-generator 0.1.0

A Python package for font manipulation and conversion

Font Generator

A Python package for font manipulation and conversion. Convert TTF/OTF fonts to SVG format, convert SVG files back to fonts, and add handwritten effects to fonts.

Features

• TTF to SVG Conversion: Extract individual glyphs from TrueType/OpenType fonts as SVG files
• SVG to TTF Conversion: Combine SVG files back into a TTF font
• Handwritten Effect: Add a handwritten, jittery effect to fonts using FontForge
• CLI Interface: Easy-to-use command-line interface for all operations
• Python API: Use as a library in your Python projects

Installation

From PyPI

pip install font-generator

From Source

git clone https://github.com/GenXLabs-org/font-generator.git
cd font-generator
pip install -e .

Optional: Handwritten Feature

The handwritten font generation feature requires FontForge to be installed on your system:

macOS:

brew install fontforge

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install fontforge

Windows: Download from FontForge website

Then install the Python bindings:

pip install fontforge

Quick Start

Command Line Usage

Convert TTF to SVG

font-generator ttf-to-svg input.ttf output_dir/

This will extract all glyphs from the font and save them as individual SVG files in the output directory, along with a _font_metadata.json file containing font metrics.

Convert SVG to TTF

font-generator svg-to-ttf svg_dir/ base_font.ttf output.ttf --width 800

This will combine SVG files from the input directory into a new TTF font, using the base font as a template.

Add Handwritten Effect

font-generator handwritten input.ttf output.ttf --jitter 35 --smoothing 15

Options:

• --jitter: Amount of random jitter to apply (default: 35)
• --smoothing: Smoothing amount for curves (default: 15)

Python API Usage

from font_generator import ttf_to_svg, svg_to_ttf, make_handwritten

# Convert TTF to SVG
ttf_to_svg('input.ttf', 'output_dir/')

# Convert SVG to TTF
svg_to_ttf('svg_dir/', 'base_font.ttf', 'output.ttf')

# Add handwritten effect
make_handwritten('input.ttf', 'output.ttf', jitter_amount=35, smoothing=15)

Detailed Usage

TTF to SVG Conversion

The ttf-to-svg command extracts all glyphs from a font file:

font-generator ttf-to-svg path/to/font.ttf path/to/output/

Output:

• Individual SVG files for each glyph (named with Unicode values)
• _font_metadata.json file containing:
  • Font metadata (name, family, version)
  • Font metrics (units per em, ascent, descent)
  • Glyph metrics (width, left bearing)
  • OpenType feature information (GSUB/GPOS)

SVG to TTF Conversion

The svg-to-ttf command combines SVG files into a font:

font-generator svg-to-ttf svg_folder/ base_font.ttf output.ttf --width 800

Parameters:

• svg_folder/: Directory containing SVG files
• base_font.ttf: Template font file
• output.ttf: Output font file path
• --width: Default glyph width (default: 800)

Note: SVG files should be named to match glyph names (e.g., A.svg, uni0041_A.svg). The command uses a default Unicode map for A-Z, but you can customize this in the Python API.

Handwritten Effect

The handwritten command adds a jittery, handwritten effect:

font-generator handwritten input.ttf output.ttf --jitter 50 --smoothing 20

How it works:

1. Adds random jitter to each point in the glyph outlines
2. Converts curves to polygons (on-curve points)
3. Smooths the result back into curves

Parameters:

• --jitter: Range of random movement for points (higher = more jittery)
• --smoothing: Amount of smoothing applied (higher = smoother curves)

Requirements

• Python >=3.7
• fonttools >= 4.0.0
• svgpathtools >= 1.4.0
• fontforge (optional, for handwritten feature)

Project Structure

font-generator/
├── font_generator/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── cli.py              # CLI interface
│   ├── handwritten.py      # Handwritten effect module
│   ├── ttf_to_svg.py       # TTF to SVG conversion
│   └── svg_to_ttf.py       # SVG to TTF conversion
├── setup.py
├── pyproject.toml
├── requirements.txt
└── README.md

Examples

Example 1: Extract Glyphs from a Font

font-generator ttf-to-svg MyFont.ttf extracted_glyphs/

This creates individual SVG files for each character in the font.

Example 2: Create Custom Font from SVGs

# First, extract glyphs
font-generator ttf-to-svg BaseFont.ttf svgs/

# Edit SVG files as needed...

# Then rebuild the font
font-generator svg-to-ttf svgs/ BaseFont.ttf CustomFont.ttf

Example 3: Make a Font Look Handwritten

font-generator handwritten CleanFont.ttf HandwrittenFont.ttf --jitter 40

Troubleshooting

FontForge Import Error

If you get an error about FontForge not being found:

1. Install FontForge on your system (see installation instructions above)
2. Install Python bindings: pip install fontforge

Invalid Font File Error

Make sure you're using a valid TTF or OTF file. The tool validates font files by checking their headers.

SVG Conversion Issues

• Ensure SVG files are properly formatted
• Check that glyph names match the Unicode map
• Verify the base font file is valid

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Author

Chandra Bahadur Khadka

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please visit the GitHub repository.