You'll need: FontCreator (Windows and macOS), and a glyph to draw or clean up.
Good outlines are the foundation of a good font — they interpolate cleanly, hint better, and render sharper at small sizes. The difference between a messy outline and a clean one is rarely talent; it's a handful of habits and knowing which on-screen aids to switch on. This guide covers both.
What a clean outline looks like
Before the tools, the targets. A well-drawn contour:
- Uses as few points as possible. Every extra on-curve point is something that can drift out of line. If you can describe a curve with two points, don't use four.
- Puts on-curve points at the extremes — the top, bottom, left and right of each curve. Extreme points keep curves predictable, help hinting, and are required for clean interpolation in variable fonts.
- Has smooth tangents where a curve should flow, and a deliberate corner only where you actually want one.
- Runs in a consistent direction — outer contours one way, inner counters the other — so fills and counters render correctly.
- Has sensible start points, which matters as soon as you interpolate across masters.
The rest of this page is about the FontCreator features that make hitting those targets easy.
the same lowercase o drawn with too many points vs. four points at the extremes
See the curve: the curvature comb
Turn on View → Show Curvature Comb. It draws a comb of lines along each curve whose length reflects curvature — so a smooth curve shows an even, flowing comb, and a kink or a flat spot jumps out as an abrupt change. It's the fastest way to catch the bumps your eye glosses over.
Tip: Watch the comb as you drag a handle. When the teeth fan out evenly, the curve is smooth; a sudden spike means a point or handle is fighting the curve.
Check direction: contour-direction arrows
View → Show Contour Direction (on by default) draws an arrow at each contour's start point showing which way it runs. If a counter is filling in solid, or an interpolation looks wrong, this is the first thing to check — a reversed contour is a common culprit. Fix one with Glyph → Change Direction.
a glyph with contour-direction arrows, outer contour clockwise and counter counter-clockwise
Draw precisely: the Pen Tool and zoom
- Hold Shift while placing points to constrain to 45° steps — horizontal, vertical and the diagonals — so stems and flat sections stay true.
- Marquee zoom: press Ctrl+Space and drag a rectangle to zoom into exactly the area you want; hold Alt while dragging to zoom out. Far quicker than stepping through zoom levels when you're chasing a single node.
- New contours are created closed by default — you don't click back onto the first point to close them. Finish a contour with Apply (or Enter).
Edit cleanly: the delete keys
The two delete keys do different jobs, and mixing them up is a classic source of mangled curves:
- Backspace removes the selected on-curve point with a smart delete — it keeps the surrounding curve shape rather than leaving a dent.
- Shift+Delete breaks the contour at the selected point (it splits it open); it does not delete the point.
Watch out: if a contour suddenly opens up when you meant to remove a point, you pressed Shift+Delete. Use Backspace to delete points.
A quick cleanup pass
A reliable routine for tidying any outline:
- Turn on the curvature comb and contour-direction arrows.
- Remove redundant points (Backspace) until the comb still reads smooth with fewer nodes.
- Make sure there's an on-curve point at each extreme.
- Confirm every contour runs the right direction; flip any that don't with Change Direction.
- Zoom in on each corner and junction with Ctrl+Space and check the comb for kinks.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Counter fills in solid | Contour runs the wrong way | Select it, Glyph → Change Direction |
| Curve looks lumpy near a node | Redundant point or a handle fighting the curve | Backspace the extra point; watch the curvature comb |
| Contour springs open while editing | Pressed Shift+Delete (break) instead of Backspace | Undo; use Backspace to delete points |
| Interpolation breaks in a variable font | Missing extreme points or mismatched start points/direction | Add extremes, align directions and start points across masters |
| Hard to place a point accurately | Zoomed too far out | Ctrl+Space-drag to zoom into the spot |
Frequently asked questions
Why should I put points at the extremes of a curve? Extreme points (top, bottom, left, right) keep curves predictable, improve hinting at small sizes, and are needed for clean interpolation between masters in a variable font.
How do I see whether a curve is smooth? Turn on View → Show Curvature Comb. An even, flowing comb means a smooth curve; an abrupt change in the comb's length marks a kink or flat spot.
My counter is filled in — what's wrong? The contour is almost certainly running the wrong direction. Switch on View → Show Contour Direction to confirm, then use Glyph → Change Direction on the offending contour.
What's the difference between Backspace and Shift+Delete? Backspace deletes the selected point while preserving the curve shape. Shift+Delete breaks (splits) the contour open at that point — it doesn't delete it.
What to read next
- Creating a Font and Editing Glyphs — the basics of drawing and editing your first glyphs.
- Import Vector Artwork (SVG, EPS, AI) — bring in vector paths, then clean them up with the habits above.
- Reusable Corners, Serifs & Caps (Path Decorations) — add designed corners and serifs without hand-drawing each one.
