What a font actually is
A font file (OTF or TTF) contains a vector outline for each character, its width, spacing adjustments for specific pairs (kerning), and some names and settings. When you type, the computer places those outlines one after another.
So making a font means three things: drawing the characters, spacing them so words look even, and compiling everything into a file your computer can install.
Plan your character set
- Minimum usable font: A–Z, a–z, 0–9 and basic punctuation. That’s around 95 characters.
- Your language: add accents (é, ñ, ç, ã…). Many tools, Affont included, can build them from the base letter plus the accent.
- Display or text: a display font for titles and logos can be expressive and only needs capitals. A font for reading needs lowercase and careful spacing.
- Extras: ligatures (fi, fl, or your own combinations) and alternates give handwritten fonts a more natural look.
Draw the letters
From handwriting. Write each character on paper with a thick marker, several times, and choose the best one. Scan or photograph the page with even light, place it in your design app, and trace each letter with the Pen or Pencil tool. You can also write directly with a tablet and a vector brush.
From scratch. Build letters with shapes and the Pen tool. Start with n, o, H and O to set the weight and proportions, then reuse parts: the n gives you h, m and u, and the o gives you b, d, p and q.
In Affont you draw in Affinity, on a template with one cell per character and guides for the baseline, x-height and cap height. If you haven’t used it yet, see how to make a font in Affinity.
Space and kern
Spacing is what makes a font look professional. Each letter has space on its left and right (side bearings). Set those first, testing with strings like “nnonoonn” and “HHOHOOHH”.
Then add kerning only where specific pairs still look wrong, such as AV, To, LT and Yo. Affont lets you drag one letter toward another on a sample text, and it has automatic kerning as a starting point.
Test it with real words
Install the font and type real text: pangrams (“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”), your name, a paragraph, big and small sizes. Problems you can’t see letter by letter show up immediately in words. With Affont the font is installed every time you send, so you can test in Affinity while you design.
Export OTF or TTF
For design apps and most uses, OTF is the best choice. TTF is the most compatible with older software. For websites, export WOFF2. Fill in the font info (family name, designer, version, license) before you share it.
How much does it cost?
Affinity is a free download for Windows and macOS. Affont is a one-time payment of $19, with no subscription, and it works on 3 devices. There’s no limit on the number of fonts you make, and every one of them is yours.
Who owns the font?
You do. A font you draw yourself is your work: you can use it in commercial projects, sell it or give it away. Choose a license (for example, desktop use only or also web) and write it in the font info so buyers know what they can do with it.