- Index:
- 09
- Sector:
- Design Tools
- Type:
- Bespoke software
- Year:
- 2024
Font Creator for Adobe Illustrator
Our own tool: an Adobe Illustrator extension that turns hand-drawn letterforms into finished OpenType fonts. Making a custom font used to mean exporting paths from Illustrator into separate font software and fixing metrics and path directions by hand. We built a panel inside Illustrator so a designer can draw, assign characters, preview and export without leaving the app.
Creating custom fonts has always meant working across a patchwork of tools. A designer draws letterforms in Illustrator, exports them path by path, imports into specialised font editing software, manually adjusts metrics and coordinate systems, corrects path winding directions, and finally compiles the font file. The process was slow, error-prone, and deeply frustrating, especially for lettering artists and brand designers who needed custom typefaces efficiently. The market lacked an affordable, tightly integrated solution that respected the designer's existing workflow.
We built a CEP extension that embeds directly into Illustrator as a native panel, matching the application's dark theme so it feels built-in rather than bolted on. Under the hood, a sophisticated pipeline handles the heavy lifting: path extraction reads vectors directly from selected artwork via ExtendScript, a coordinate transform layer translates Illustrator's coordinate system into font space, winding correction automatically resolves path directions for proper fill rendering, and the glyph building engine constructs standards-compliant paths using opentype.js. The result: select your artwork, assign it to characters, preview your typeface in real time, and export a professional OTF file. Draw, assign, preview, export.
Extension Architecture & Illustrator Integration
We built the CEP extension shell and embedded it as a native panel inside Illustrator, matching the host application's dark UI so it feels like a built-in feature. The ExtendScript bridge connects the panel to Illustrator's document object model for real-time artwork access.
- →Native CEP panel that sits inside Illustrator with a matching dark theme
- →ExtendScript bridge for real-time communication with the host application
- →Character assignment UI supporting 100+ glyph slots with drag-and-drop mapping
- →Compatibility layer ensuring consistent behaviour across CC 2019 through CC 2025
Path Processing & Coordinate Transforms
The core engineering challenge: Illustrator and font files use fundamentally different coordinate systems. We built a transform pipeline that reads raw vector paths, flips and scales them into font-space coordinates, and automatically corrects winding direction so filled and counter shapes render properly.
- →Coordinate transform engine converting Illustrator space to font-space units automatically
- →Winding direction correction ensuring proper fill rendering for all glyph shapes
- →Compound path detection resolving interior cutouts in letters like O, B, D, and e
- →Metric calculations for ascender, descender, baseline, and cap height derived from artwork
Font Compilation & Export
The final phase assembles a standards-compliant OpenType font file using opentype.js. Each glyph is constructed with correct advance widths, sidebearings, and path data. A live preview renders the assembled typeface in the panel so designers can spot issues before exporting.
- →One-click OTF export producing standards-compliant OpenType font files
- →Live in-panel typeface preview for visual verification before export
- →Correct font table generation including cmap, OS/2, and name tables
- →Cross-platform rendering verified on Windows, macOS, major browsers, and design software
- 01Eliminated the multi-tool workflow entirely, designers produce finished fonts without leaving Illustrator
- 02Automated coordinate transforms, path corrections, and metric calculations that previously required manual intervention per glyph
- 03Lowered the barrier to custom type design, accessible to lettering artists without specialised typographic engineering knowledge
- 04Exported OpenType files meet industry standards and render correctly across operating systems, browsers, and design applications
- 05Seven major Illustrator versions supported, CC 2019 through 2025, ensuring long-term reliability
Need software built for your business?
We build software like this for clients too. Tell us what your business needs to run on, and we will come back with a fixed written quote after a short discovery call.
Bespoke software from £10,000
Prices, timelines and what is included: Bespoke software development in Glasgow.
Studio: Unit 204b, 36-38 Washington Street, Glasgow G3 8AZ. Phone 0141 345 5841.
A native Illustrator extension that eliminates the multi-tool font creation workflow, draw letterforms, assign glyphs, and export production-ready OpenType fonts without leaving the app.
- Extension Framework
- Adobe CEP (Common Extensibility Platform) with HTML/CSS/JS panel
- Host Communication
- ExtendScript bridge for reading Illustrator DOM and selected artwork paths
- Font Engine
- opentype.js for glyph construction and OpenType file compilation
- Compatibility
- CEP version targeting across Illustrator CC 2019 through CC 2025 (7 releases)
- Illustrator DOM
- Direct path data extraction from selected artwork via ExtendScript
- opentype.js
- Standards-compliant OpenType font table generation and binary compilation
- CSInterface
- Adobe CSInterface.js for panel lifecycle, theme sync, and host app events
- Path Processing
- Coordinate transform, winding correction, and metric calculation in milliseconds per glyph
- Font Compilation
- Full 100+ character font compiled and written to disk in under one second
- Live Preview
- Real-time typeface rendering in-panel as glyphs are assigned and modified
- →Zero external dependencies beyond opentype.js, minimal attack surface
- →Automated winding direction correction eliminates manual path debugging
- →Defensive path validation rejects malformed or empty artwork before processing
- →Cross-version tested across 7 major Illustrator releases
- CEP
- ExtendScript
- opentype.js
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
Aligné Studio
From brand identity to native mobile apps, a full-service launch for London's first infrared light therapy Pilates studio.
Have a project?
Websites, web apps and bespoke software for businesses across the UK, built in Glasgow. Tell us what you need and we will come back with a fixed written quote after a discovery call.
Glasgow GFX Studio
- Visit
- The Pentagon Business Centre
Unit 204b, 36-38 Washington Street
Glasgow G3 8AZ - Call
- 0141 345 5841
- Hours
- Mon to Fri 9:00 to 18:00
Sat 10:00 to 18:00
Sun closed - Clients
- Web and software clients across the UK, from the Washington Street studio in Glasgow.