FontCreator is a font editor for Windows and macOS. This is the entry tutorial: the fastest way to get a feel for the program is to make a font of your own. In a few minutes you'll create a new project, draw or import your first glyphs, then test and install the result. Once you've done this once, the rest of the FontCreator tutorials will make a lot more sense.

You'll need: (optionally) a scanned or photographed image of one handwritten letter for the import step. Everything else happens inside the font editor.

Step 1 — Create a new font project

The quickest way to explore FontCreator is by creating a font, so let's make a font of your own handwriting.

1. In the File menu, click New Project to start a new font project.
2. In the Font family name field, type My Handwriting and click OK.

Giving the font a personal name now makes it easy to identify later when you test and install it.

> Tip: FontCreator runs on both Windows and macOS, and the steps in this tutorial are the same on both platforms. Menu names and dialogs match across the two versions.

Step 2 — Understand the Font Overview window

You'll now see the Font Overview window. Each cell represents a glyph. Some cells contain sample characters shown as light grey outlines — these are visual guides only, placeholders for glyphs you haven't drawn yet. In this tutorial we'll create glyphs for the characters A, B, and C.

> Note: The grey sample shapes never become part of your font. They simply show you where a real glyph is expected. A cell only carries glyph data once you add a contour, import an image, or draw into it.

Step 3 — Edit glyphs

There's more than one way to get a shape into a glyph. We'll use a different method for each of the three letters so you can see your options.

Character "A" — draw a contour

1. In the Font Overview window, double-click the cell labeled A to open the Glyph Edit window.
2. Choose Contour from the Glyph menu, or click the corresponding toolbar button.
3. Click with the left mouse button to add points. To create curves, hold the mouse button down and drag to shape a Bézier curve.
4. Hold Shift while clicking to constrain the next point to 45° steps — including horizontal and vertical.
5. Contours are created closed by default, so just press Apply (or Enter) to finish. You may need more than one contour to complete the shape.
6. Keep the contours inside the visible area defined by the WinAscent and WinDescent lines and the side-bearings (the dashed vertical lines). Drag the side-bearings if you need to adjust them.
7. Close the Glyph Edit window when you're happy with the shape.

> A few editor aids worth knowing early: > - Backspace deletes a selected point with a smart, shape-preserving cleanup; Shift+Delete breaks the contour at the selected point instead of removing it. > - Ctrl+Space, then drag a rectangle, zooms into that area (hold Alt while dragging to zoom out). > - Turn on View → Show Curvature Comb to see how smoothly a curve flows, and View → Show Contour Direction (on by default) to confirm each contour runs the right way.

Character "B" — import an image

For a personal touch, we'll import an image of a handwritten B.

1. Prepare an image of your handwritten B, roughly 300 × 300 pixels. Bitmap, GIF, PNG, and JPG formats all work well.
2. Double-click the cell labeled B in the Font Overview window.
3. From the Tools menu, select Import Artwork….
4. Click Load to choose your image, then click Generate. The traced shape appears in the Glyph Edit window.
5. Adjust the contours so they fit within the visible area.
6. Close the Glyph Edit window.

> Tip: Importing images is the core of converting signatures, logos, and handwriting into outlines. For the full workflow — thresholds, cleanup, and best image settings — see Create a Font from an Image.

Character "C" — free draw

1. From the Font Overview window, double-click the cell labeled C to open the Glyph Edit window.
2. Choose Free Draw Contours... from the Glyph menu, or select the Free Draw tool from the Drawing Toolbar.
3. Click and drag with the left mouse button to draw your glyph; use the right mouse button to erase.
4. When you're done, press Convert to Contours to turn your drawing into editable contours.
5. Make sure the contours fit the visible area, adjusting the side-bearings as needed.
6. Close the Glyph Edit window to return to the Font Overview window.

> Watch out: Whichever method you use, every contour should sit inside the side-bearings and between the ascent and descent lines. Geometry that spills outside those guides can clip or collide with neighbouring glyphs when you type with the font.

Step 4 — Test your font

Now that the first three characters exist, test the font without installing it.

1. Go to the Font menu and select Test.
2. In the test window, type A, B, and C to see your glyphs in running text.

> Tip: Testing works the same way on Windows and on macOS, so you can preview a font before it's installed on either platform.

Step 5 — Install and export your font

When you're satisfied with the font, you can install it for use in other applications.

1. Select Install from the Font menu. The Font Installation Wizard guides you through the rest.
2. Once installed, most applications (such as Word) recognise the font immediately, though a few may need a restart.

To share your font — with friends, to sell online, or to use on a website — export it instead:

1. Select Export Font from the File menu.
2. In the Font Export Settings window, choose your format (for example TrueType or OpenType) and the export folder.

> Note: FontCreator can also export web fonts (WOFF and WOFF2), color fonts, and variable fonts. The format you choose in Font Export Settings determines what kind of font file you ship.

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Does FontCreator run on macOS as well as Windows? Yes. FontCreator is a font editor for both Windows and macOS, and the steps in this tutorial are identical on both platforms.

Do I have to draw every glyph by hand? No. You can draw contours directly, import an image to trace, or use the Free Draw tool — and for accents and composites you can reuse parts you've already made. This tutorial shows one of each drawing method.

Can I try my font before installing it? Yes. Use Font → Test to type with your font in a preview window without installing anything.

What's the difference between Install and Export? Install adds the font to your operating system so other applications can use it. Export Font writes a font file (TrueType, OpenType, WOFF, and more) that you can share or sell.

Why are some cells showing light grey letters I didn't draw? Those are placeholder samples that show where a glyph is expected. They are not part of your font and disappear from output until you add real glyph data.

What to read next

• Glyph Name Convention — friendly glyph names that drive OpenType features, composites, and metrics expressions.
• Create a Font from an Image — the full image-to-outline workflow for signatures, logos, and handwriting.
• Using Masks — non-destructive subtraction for holes, counters, and overlap-free shapes.
• Monoline & Stroke Fonts — turn centrelines into clean, consistent outlines.
• Test & Validate Your Font — check spacing, features, and font health before you ship.