Free Font Creation Software For Mac

I'm going to preface this article by saying that I was a loyal user of Extensis Suitcase Fusion font management software since 2008. For the longest time, I was spoiled by its smart filters, customizable collections, and auto-activation capabilities. However, in the last couple of years I got tired of needing to keep this bloated beast on my system. The upgrades were expensive and each time they updated their software, the changes seemed to make my system run harder. Worst of all, it was starting to offer no real benefit to my workflow.

My favorite free Font Maker Software is: As per my testing, FontForge is the best free Font Maker. Import your favorites. Use your font creation — or choose from over 17,000 high-quality fonts you can activate from Adobe Fonts — across the Adobe Creative Cloud in Photoshop, XD, or Premiere Pro. Sync with Adobe Stock. With Stock assets, you can quickly find inspiration, start new projects, and use Stock as a basis for a new custom font.

After a recent update to MacOS Sierra, my version of Suitcase Fusion decided that it wanted to die. Auto-activation no longer worked with Adobe Creative Cloud 2017. Even though I could get it to eventually load and manage my fonts, it required that I ‘OK' my way through a long series of error messages, installer warnings, and finally login with my administrator password—which is just kind of bullshit.

Time to hunt for a new font management system!

The first thing I did when looking for a new system was decide what was really important. After all, you can't find something if you don't know what you're looking for! So I sat down and thought about how I intend to use my fonts, what I liked (or didn't like) about management systems I have already used, and how I could make improvements to my current workflow.

I work in a small team. Because it's just me and my husband, I had no need for font server technology or bulk pricing on software licenses. I speak English natively and work primarily on English projects. This means that I don't need my software to be bloated with multiple language translations. Both of us work in Mac (and Linux) operating systems, so support for Windows is not wanted or required. Windows is a terrible operating system.

I want to be able to get quick and customizable previews of my library of fonts. It would be great to have the ability to quickly filter and search for fonts. Saving these selections into collections labeled by type classification, foundry, feeling, or by client is imperative. Also, auto-activation with Adobe Creative Cloud has to be available because I am lazy—I mean, because I am efficient.

Finally, I am really sensitive about my file organization system. I want my file system to either remain untouched or to be organized nicely in a way that I can find what I need later on. This is where I have always had problems in the past. Most font management systems drop copies of installed fonts into a single subdirectory in the user's /Library/ folder—which in my opinion is the ugliest method of storage imaginable. It seriously gives me the shivers.

Why not pick the free option?

Font Book, which ships free with Macs, bothers the crap out of me. Yes, it's fast and yes, it's free. But it doesn't offer the features I find to be most important in my workflow. The file system is mushed together into a large ugly directory that you can (optionally) manually maintain—but that's a timesink for me. And while they do have a decent collection system, their preview system is on a font-by-font basis. Sometimes I need that palette of font previews right in my face to get my creative juices flowing. Sifting through thousand of fonts one by one is a no go.

What about the most ‘professional' options?

Some would argue that you mean Extensis Suitcase Fusion. Others would say you mean Monotype's FontExplorer X. Both are essentially the same heavy software that is so feature-rich that the software gets slow and hard to use. Both of these options let you preview and auto-activate your fonts, but they dump installed font files into their own proprietary libraries. They offer smart collections, filter, categories, font meta information… all the bells and whistles a professional designer thinks they need.

But I just don't need all of that. I want something lightweight, fast, and minimal. Something that won't get in my way when I'm trying to do something quickly, but is powerful enough to give me the info I'm looking for when I want it.

Reviews of Font Management Software for Mac

FontAgent by Insider Software

$99 for a Single-User License (30-day Trial)

FontAgent's interface is a dead ringer for a Suitcase Fusion or a FontExplorer X clone. If you're already comfortable with this layout and like it, chances are you will like FontAgent as well. On the surface this software seems to deliver everything I was looking for. They have auto-activation for Creative Cloud, extensive filtering and smart collections, as well as custom collections. Their file system, however, is handled just like all of the rest. They store copies of the font files in one large directory inside of a proprietary directory in the user library. Yuck.

This might have been forgivable if the software itself was not also slow and sluggish. As I was scrolling through just a portion of the system fonts, the preview chugged along and very slowly caught up with me. I was not impressed by this. Even though they have a 30-day free trial available—which is great—I didn't need more than 30 minutes to realize that my princess was in another castle.

RightFont by Markly Team

$50 For a Single-User License

Upfront, there is a lot to like about RightFont. It looks great. The interface is clean and simple with a single window that lists all of your fonts. There is an option to quickly get to the app right from your menu bar. The filter and search options are diverse as are the preview options. Auto-activation works flawlessly and you can even scroll through active fonts to watch the changes automatically applied inside your Adobe software. It comes with a plethora of icon sets pre-installed as well as offers immediate in-app connectivity to Google Fonts and Adobe Typekit

It's super easy to import new fonts. When you do, it copies each font into it's own alphabetized directory. (Yay!) However, it leaves dead directories whenever you move a font to the trash. If you don't want to use their file system, you can create 'Live Lists' which allows you to access and activate fonts stored elsewhere on your system—like in a Dropbox folder.

There are two huge downsides to their software. The first is that there is no way to view the entire character set for a font. What this means is if you want to preview individual glyphs, you're basically S.O.L. The second downside is that you're asked to take a $50 leap of faith because there is no free trial period. It's not a deal breaker—there is a 15-day money back guarantee—but it is cause for a major pause.

Typeface by Criminalbird

$10 For a Family-Share License via the App Store

I want to love this font management app. I really do. First of all, it's extremely fast, lightweight, and beautifully designed. You can quickly view all of the installed fonts on your system with a nice customizable palette of previews. The filtering system is fast, intuitive, and has a solid range of selections. You can choose to invert the colors and a recent update even gave users the ability to export a PDF of your font selections to present to clients.

My favorite part though is their addition of font comparison, outlines, and a markup options. These allow you see the the design differences between two fonts and get a better idea of the structure of each font. If you're into studying typography, this is a super cool and very unique feature that makes it worth getting the app all by itself.

However, there is no integration with Google Fonts or Adobe Typekit. There is also no auto-activation in Creative Cloud. You can choose to preview fonts in any directory, but Typeface does not handle font installation and it really sucks at activation and deactivation. This part of the their software piggybacks off of Font Book, Mac's free font management software. The big-picture means that all—yes all—of your fonts need to be installed on your system. Additionally, when you deactivate one of these installed fonts, it disappears into oblivion and can't be reactivated later. The only way to get it back is to reinstall it in Font Book. Bummer, right?

On the upside, the developers seem to really give a damn about making a good product and I like that. You can see that they are listening to their customers by comparing the app reviews with the changes made in subsequent updates. That kind of support is priceless and it makes me think that even if I don't love it now, one day I might.

Which Font Management Software Did I Choose?

All in all, I spent a lot of time reading user reviews, playing with each application, and testing all of my key workflow processes in various configurations. It was not an easy decision to make, but what I decided was:

Best Free Fonts For Mac

I really liked how RightFont handled activating and deactivating fonts, their organized file system, their star and collection system, and the fact that it played well with other apps and online font services. Other than those dang zombie directories it leaves, it's seemingly perfect for all my needs. However, I really hate how it handles analysis. Typeface, hands down, works the best on that font. It quickly give me all the information I need and lets me compare and contrasts two fonts without batting an eyelash.

Once you activate a font with RightFont, you can then access it with Typeface! This was a pleasant surprise and the deciding factor on my new hybrid font management system.

When you type something on your computer, it usually comes in a specific font. If you check the list of fonts that Word offers to you, you would notice that there are a number of professional and formal fonts. While these look great, you might want something more extraordinary, something cooler.

Finally, I am really sensitive about my file organization system. I want my file system to either remain untouched or to be organized nicely in a way that I can find what I need later on. This is where I have always had problems in the past. Most font management systems drop copies of installed fonts into a single subdirectory in the user's /Library/ folder—which in my opinion is the ugliest method of storage imaginable. It seriously gives me the shivers.

Why not pick the free option?

Font Book, which ships free with Macs, bothers the crap out of me. Yes, it's fast and yes, it's free. But it doesn't offer the features I find to be most important in my workflow. The file system is mushed together into a large ugly directory that you can (optionally) manually maintain—but that's a timesink for me. And while they do have a decent collection system, their preview system is on a font-by-font basis. Sometimes I need that palette of font previews right in my face to get my creative juices flowing. Sifting through thousand of fonts one by one is a no go.

What about the most ‘professional' options?

Some would argue that you mean Extensis Suitcase Fusion. Others would say you mean Monotype's FontExplorer X. Both are essentially the same heavy software that is so feature-rich that the software gets slow and hard to use. Both of these options let you preview and auto-activate your fonts, but they dump installed font files into their own proprietary libraries. They offer smart collections, filter, categories, font meta information… all the bells and whistles a professional designer thinks they need.

But I just don't need all of that. I want something lightweight, fast, and minimal. Something that won't get in my way when I'm trying to do something quickly, but is powerful enough to give me the info I'm looking for when I want it.

Reviews of Font Management Software for Mac

FontAgent by Insider Software

$99 for a Single-User License (30-day Trial)

FontAgent's interface is a dead ringer for a Suitcase Fusion or a FontExplorer X clone. If you're already comfortable with this layout and like it, chances are you will like FontAgent as well. On the surface this software seems to deliver everything I was looking for. They have auto-activation for Creative Cloud, extensive filtering and smart collections, as well as custom collections. Their file system, however, is handled just like all of the rest. They store copies of the font files in one large directory inside of a proprietary directory in the user library. Yuck.

This might have been forgivable if the software itself was not also slow and sluggish. As I was scrolling through just a portion of the system fonts, the preview chugged along and very slowly caught up with me. I was not impressed by this. Even though they have a 30-day free trial available—which is great—I didn't need more than 30 minutes to realize that my princess was in another castle.

RightFont by Markly Team

$50 For a Single-User License

Upfront, there is a lot to like about RightFont. It looks great. The interface is clean and simple with a single window that lists all of your fonts. There is an option to quickly get to the app right from your menu bar. The filter and search options are diverse as are the preview options. Auto-activation works flawlessly and you can even scroll through active fonts to watch the changes automatically applied inside your Adobe software. It comes with a plethora of icon sets pre-installed as well as offers immediate in-app connectivity to Google Fonts and Adobe Typekit

It's super easy to import new fonts. When you do, it copies each font into it's own alphabetized directory. (Yay!) However, it leaves dead directories whenever you move a font to the trash. If you don't want to use their file system, you can create 'Live Lists' which allows you to access and activate fonts stored elsewhere on your system—like in a Dropbox folder.

There are two huge downsides to their software. The first is that there is no way to view the entire character set for a font. What this means is if you want to preview individual glyphs, you're basically S.O.L. The second downside is that you're asked to take a $50 leap of faith because there is no free trial period. It's not a deal breaker—there is a 15-day money back guarantee—but it is cause for a major pause.

Typeface by Criminalbird

$10 For a Family-Share License via the App Store

I want to love this font management app. I really do. First of all, it's extremely fast, lightweight, and beautifully designed. You can quickly view all of the installed fonts on your system with a nice customizable palette of previews. The filtering system is fast, intuitive, and has a solid range of selections. You can choose to invert the colors and a recent update even gave users the ability to export a PDF of your font selections to present to clients.

My favorite part though is their addition of font comparison, outlines, and a markup options. These allow you see the the design differences between two fonts and get a better idea of the structure of each font. If you're into studying typography, this is a super cool and very unique feature that makes it worth getting the app all by itself.

However, there is no integration with Google Fonts or Adobe Typekit. There is also no auto-activation in Creative Cloud. You can choose to preview fonts in any directory, but Typeface does not handle font installation and it really sucks at activation and deactivation. This part of the their software piggybacks off of Font Book, Mac's free font management software. The big-picture means that all—yes all—of your fonts need to be installed on your system. Additionally, when you deactivate one of these installed fonts, it disappears into oblivion and can't be reactivated later. The only way to get it back is to reinstall it in Font Book. Bummer, right?

On the upside, the developers seem to really give a damn about making a good product and I like that. You can see that they are listening to their customers by comparing the app reviews with the changes made in subsequent updates. That kind of support is priceless and it makes me think that even if I don't love it now, one day I might.

Which Font Management Software Did I Choose?

All in all, I spent a lot of time reading user reviews, playing with each application, and testing all of my key workflow processes in various configurations. It was not an easy decision to make, but what I decided was:

Best Free Fonts For Mac

I really liked how RightFont handled activating and deactivating fonts, their organized file system, their star and collection system, and the fact that it played well with other apps and online font services. Other than those dang zombie directories it leaves, it's seemingly perfect for all my needs. However, I really hate how it handles analysis. Typeface, hands down, works the best on that font. It quickly give me all the information I need and lets me compare and contrasts two fonts without batting an eyelash.

Once you activate a font with RightFont, you can then access it with Typeface! This was a pleasant surprise and the deciding factor on my new hybrid font management system.

When you type something on your computer, it usually comes in a specific font. If you check the list of fonts that Word offers to you, you would notice that there are a number of professional and formal fonts. While these look great, you might want something more extraordinary, something cooler.

The only way to do that would be to create your own fonts. And to do that, you can take the help of font creator software.

Free Font Creator Software Mac

FontForge

Font forge is another software that can be used for creating fonts. You can create all types of fonts with the help of this software, it could be something professional for your place of work or it could be for watermark for your images, it could even be something fun and hip for personal reasons.

Bit Font Maker

This software is a bit font maker and would be a great way to come up with amazing new fonts. You would get tons of samples which can come in handy. Also, you would be getting round the clock support that would help if you face troubles while downloading or using your software. You can create your fonts once you download it.

Type light

Type light Software is one of the most popular free font creator software applications. It allows you to create any font that you like. You can take the help of samples if you're stuck with a creative block or run out of ideas. You can even come up with fonts that are entirely your own creation. This font creator software allows you to experiment with fonts.

Bitmap Font Editor

If you're looking for font creators that are easy to use, you should definitely try out Sofia. Most font creators would require some sort of technology related knowledge before you proceed but not this. Even beginners can try this. It has been developed specially to make font creating something that everyone can try!

Font Creator Software for Various Platforms

The fonts that are already there on your device are compatible with your platform – Android, Mac or even Windows, whichever you're using. Now you can even create different kinds of fonts but you need to make sure that the fonts are compatible with your platform. To do that, you must make sure the software you're downloading runs on your device.

Free Font Creator Software for Windows – FontCreator

This is one of the most popular font creator software in the market at present. It is a kind of font manager and can be a great way to create your own and cool fonts. You can come up with different kinds of fonts, and even manage them through this software. You can use them to write anything on your device.

Windows allows you to use different kinds of font creator software to create cool new fonts. Now if you're looking for the best font creator software for windows, you should try out High Logic . This software is a font manager developed specially for Windows and would be of great use to you. It also allows you to create your own fonts.

Free Font Creator Software for Android – Raster Font Editor

Raster Font Editor is also another popular font creator software. The best part about this software is that it is exceptionally easy to use. Also, this software has received top ratings on renowned websites and you can rest assured, you would get safe, easy to use and innovative fonts with the help of this font creator software.

Android users too have their fair share of font creator software applications. All these applications like Raster Font Editor have been developed keeping the needs of Android devices in mind. This software runs equally well on all three platforms although the integrated system of Raster Font Editor is particularly compatible with Android.

Free Font Creator Software for Mac – Font Constructor

If you're talking of the most popular and one of the best font creator software, you cannot afford to miss out on Font Constructor. It would allow you to create any kinds of fonts that you want and even experiment with them as you please. You can come up with numerous kinds of fonts and use them for your writing.

Free Font Creation Software For Mac Windows 10

When we're talking about Mac users, they have limited choices when it comes to font creators. Yet, the software applications that you have in store are really great and would allow you to create top notch fonts. For that, you could try out something like Font Constructor.

Most Popular Font Creator Software in 2016 – Font Lab

Font lab should be your ultimate destination when it comes to font creator software. There are numerous different versions of the application and all of them have something to do with fonts. There are font format converters, font editors, commercial font creators and so on. They have different kinds of software that could be used on fonts.

If you're asking about the best and most popular font creator software in 2016, we would have to suggest the amazing font creating software named Font Lab. There are numerous kinds of subdivisions in this particular program, all of which allows you to freely experiment with your fonts. You would not only be able to create new fonts, but also convert formats and edit them.

What is Font Creator Software?

Even as you're reading this now, you would probably be able to identify the format it has been written in. After all, this is one of the most popular ones that are used. But then again, these are the conventional formats that have been used since time immemorial.

Naturally, you might want to try your hand at creating brand new formats which you could use to write your texts. These font creator software applications would allow you to come up with new and innovative fonts which you could use, along with the standard ones that come with your device. All these fonts are really easy to use and manage, so you wouldn't have a tough time figuring it out.

How to Install Font Creator Software?

Installing font creator software is really easy. All you have to do is get your hands on a wonderful and easy to use font creator software that can help you out. While downloading font creator software, make sure you only use the official website of the software. You should also check the variations of the software and make sure you're getting the current version.

Benefits of Font Creator Softwares

Are you tired of the same old fonts that have been used ever since the inception of computers? Then you could try to create your own fonts. If you think the fonts on your device aren't good enough, you could take the help of font creator software. These applications would allow to create a range of fonts which can be used by you.

You could create professional fonts or even funky ones. If you create your own fonts, you would surely be leaving a lasting impression on the minds of the readers. The best part about these font creator software applications is that they do not take up too much of space on your hard disk and are really easy to use.

There are countless benefits of using font creator software. You would be able to use the fonts that you've created along with the fonts that are already available. You would be able to write all the text you're required to in the fonts that you've created using such software. These software applications would be a great way to use your creativity skills.