BirdFont is a font editor that lets you design vector glyphs, arrange them into a font, and export as TTF, OTF, or SVG. It is free for non-commercial use and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What Is BirdFont?
BirdFont was created by Johan Mattsson and first released in 2012. It focuses on the design side of font creation: drawing letters with bezier curves, setting spacing and kerning, and exporting a usable font file. It is not a full production pipeline like FontLab, but it covers the essentials.
Key Features
- Glyph editor: Draw letters with a vector pen tool and adjust anchor points.
- Import SVGs: Drop in existing vector artwork and trace it into a glyph.
- Kerning and spacing: Adjust side bearings and kerning pairs visually.
- Multi-layer colors: Support for color fonts in SVG format.
- TTF, OTF, SVG export: Build fonts you can install and use immediately.
Pricing
The basic edition is free and handles Latin scripts. A paid edition ($4.99 one-time) adds vertical metrics, more import options, and no splash screen. Commercial use requires the paid edition.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Free for personal use, cross-platform, simple vector editor, exports real font files, great for beginners.
Cons: Lacks advanced OpenType features, limited glyph import, documentation is thin, UI feels dated.
Who Should Use It?
BirdFont is for designers, students, and hobbyists who want to create a custom display font or icon font without paying for FontLab. If you need professional kerning, OpenType features, or Cyrillic/Arabic support, look at Glyphs or FontForge.
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