How Professionals Create Their Fonts?: The 7 Stages of Font Engineering

Professional font design is a blend of digital art and systematic engineering. It goes beyond merely drawing letters to building an integrated, technically compliant type system. Professionals follow a precise workflow involving seven key stages to ensure the font's quality and performance.

1. Stage One: Conceptualization & Research

This stage defines the font's DNA and ensures its intended function:

• Determine Identity and Function: Define the style (classic, geometric, humanist) and the purpose (body text, headlines, screen/print).
• Establish Structural Metrics: Fix vertical dimensions (X-Height, Baseline) and define the slant angle and stroke weight.
• Initial Sketching: Drawing the Core Set (Key Glyphs) which establishes the foundation for all other characters (e.g., n, o, H, D in Latin).

2. Stage Two: Digitization & Drawing

Converting the concept into vectors within the font environment:

• Tool Selection: Using specialized type engineering software like Glyphs, FontLab, or **RoboFont**.
• Drawing Key Glyphs: Building the core set using Bézier Curves, ensuring the minimal number of nodes for drawing accuracy.
• Creating Masters: If the font is Variable or multi-weight, drawing the Light and Bold masters precisely, ready for **Interpolation**.

3. Stage Three: Metrics & Optical Mastering

The stage of fine adjustments that are crucial for balance:

• Spacing Engineering: Defining the Sidebearings for each character to ensure balanced text flow (Set Width).
• Optical Correction: Applying Overshoots to round characters to make them appear visually aligned with straight characters.
• Kerning: Manually adjusting the spacing between thousands of common character pairs (Kerning Pairs) to prevent awkward gaps or overlaps.

4. Stage Four: Advanced OpenType Scripting

The most crucial technical aspect, especially for Arabic fonts:

• Unicode Mapping: Ensuring all characters are correctly linked to their respective Code Points.
• Contextual Forms (GSUB): Writing OpenType code to program the contextual shapes (initial, medial, final) and activate mandatory/discretionary ligatures.
• Mark Positioning (GPOS): Precise programming for the placement of dots and diacritics to avoid overlaps with adjacent characters or the next line.

5. Stage Five: Testing & Quality Assurance

No professional font is released without comprehensive testing:

• Text Flow Testing: Testing the font in long paragraphs and across different screens (web, print, mobile).
• Node Auditing: Using automated auditing tools to search for geometric flaws or curve errors.
• Performance Test: Testing the efficiency of web files (WOFF2) or the Variable Font output.

6. Stage Six: Generation & Documentation

Preparing the font for sale and distribution:

• File Export: Exporting the font in required formats (OTF, TTF, WOFF, WOFF2).
• Metadata Inclusion: Embedding the font name, Copyright, and Licensing information within the font file itself.
• Documentation: Preparing a comprehensive User Guide and the End-User License Agreement (EULA).

7. Stage Seven: Marketing & Distribution

Publishing the font on specialized platforms or selling directly, supported by attractive visual presentations.