How to Create a Custom Font with FONText free version (Short Guide)

NOTE: You can only use this program to create fonts for latin languages.

First of all you can download the Free version of this program here: http://www.zen28085.zen.co.uk/playerfactory/fontext/

* To begin, you have to open the program (ftfree.exe)

* Push the FONT button and choose your font type, size…

* Now you click on CHARACTERS and there you have to mark only the box with the FULL text label

* Now we go back to FONT (not the button) and in the BLOCK SIZE combo box, you have choose 16x16 (better for static controls), or 32x32 (better for normal fonts).

* You can also choose your font color (next to the B for bold, I for italic…)

* IMPORTANT: you have to align the characters to the left (a button next to the U of underline)

* Now we go to BACKGROUND, and there I recommend to choose (512x512) for normal fonts (talk…) and (256x256) for static fonts (those with a 16x16 block size). Also, the BACKGROUND COLOUR must be BLACK (I recommend this too)

* Finally you can choose other aspects like the OUTLINE, etc…

* To save your bitmap, in the FILE menu, choose SAVE BITMAP

* For a normal font (talk…)

FONT 
{ 
  IMAGE = "fonts\myfont1.bmp" 
  TRANSPARENT = 0,0,0 <-- This is the BACKGROUND COLOUR (BLACK) 
  COLUMNS = 16 <-- 512x512 / 32x32 = 16 
  TILE_WIDTH = 32     <-- 32 
  TILE_HEIGHT = 32    <-- x32 
  AUTO_WIDTH = TRUE<-- Always TRUE 
  FONTEXT_FIX = FALSE<-- Always FALSE 
  EXPAND_WIDTH = 0<-- More or less an increase of the distance between each letter 
 
}

* For a static control font

FONT 
{ 
  IMAGE = "fonts\myfont2.bmp" 
  TRANSPARENT = 0,0,0 <-- This is the BACKGROUND COLOUR (BLACK) 
  COLUMNS = 16<-- 256x256 / 16x16 = 16 
  TILE_WIDTH = 16 <-- 16 
  TILE_HEIGHT = 16 <-- x16 
  AUTO_WIDTH = TRUE <-- Always TRUE 
  FONTEXT_FIX = FALSE <-- Always FALSE 
  EXPAND_WIDTH = 1 <-- More or less an increase of the distance between each letter 
}

I hope this helps you a bit

Manuel Martos (MMR) 2004–2005