FontMaker

FontMaker is an open source Python application to generate character pictures with given font. A character list file lists characters to be generated. This application also provides color assignment feature and edging/shadowing effect on generated pictures.

Install

1. Download a binary distribution of FontMaker (e.g., FontMaker-0.24-bin.zip) from Downloads page.
2. Uncompress the binary distribution.

Getting Started

1. Install FontMaker.
2. Edit the char.lst
3. Edit the demo.bat
4. Run demo.bat.
   • This will generate filename.lst and character pictures.
   • The character pictures are classified with specific directories
     • fore directory contains undecorated/raw character pictures.
     • outline directory contains those pictures with adding outline.
     • shadow11 directory contains those pictures with light shadow.
     • shadow21 directory contains those pictures with enhanced shadow.

Note

• Run clean.bat to remove generated files.

A sample char.lst

# A sample character list file

 !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?
@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_
`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~

• The character list file lists characters to be generated.
• A line prefixing # denotes a comment line.

A sample demo.bat

@echo off
set fontmaker=fontmaker.exe


set outfile=filename.lst
echo =^> Generate a filename list file (%outfile%).
%fontmaker% name -o%outfile% char.lst

set name=%outfile%
set chars=char.lst
set font=arial.ttf

set dir=fore
echo =^> Generate font picture of only foreground.
%fontmaker% fore -n%name% -d%dir% -cGreen -f%font% -s40 %chars%

set dir=outline
echo =^> Generate font pictures with 1-pixel outline.
%fontmaker% outline -n%name% -d%dir% -cRed -lGreen -f%font% -s40 %chars%

set dir=shadow11
echo =^> Generate font pictures with 1x1 shadow.
%fontmaker% shadow11 -n%name% -d%dir% -cRed -lGreen -f%font% -s40 %chars%

set dir=shadow21
echo =^> Generate font pictures with 2x1 shadow.
%fontmaker% shadow21 -n%name% -d%dir% -cRed -lGreen -f%font% -s40 %chars%

pause

Sample pictures in fore directory

Sample pictures in outline directory

Sample pictures in shadow11 directory

Sample pictures in shadow21 directory

Command Line

Top level

usage: fontmaker.exe [-h] [-v] {name,fore,outline,shadow11,shadow21} ...

Generate charater pictures with outline/shadow.

positional arguments:
  {name,fore,outline,shadow11,shadow21}
                        commands
    name                Generate a filename-list file according to a char-list
                        file.
    fore                Generate font pictures of only foreground.
    outline             Generate font pictures with 1-pixel outline.
    shadow11            Generate font pictures with shadow of 1 pixel on
                        right, 1 pixel on bottom
    shadow21            Generate font pictures with shadow of 2 pixel on
                        right, 1 pixel on bottom.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -v, --version         show program's version number and exit

name command

usage: fontmaker.exe name [-h] [-o <file>] char-list-file

positional arguments:
  char-list-file        The char list file.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -o <file>, --outfile <file>
                        assign a <file> to put the filename list. The default
                        <file> is "filename.lst".

fore command

usage: fontmaker.exe fore [-h] [-n <file>] [-d <directory>] [-f <file>]
                          [-s <number>] [-c <color>]
                          char-list-file

positional arguments:
  char-list-file        The char list file.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -n <file>, --name <file>
                        assign a <file> to get the filename list. The default
                        <file> is "filename.lst".
  -d <directory>, --dir <directory>
                        assign the <directory> to store output files. The
                        default directory is "out".
  -f <file>, --font <file>
                        assign a font filename. The default font is
                        "arial.ttf".
  -s <number>, --size <number>
                        assign a font size. The default size is "40".
  -c <color>, --fore <color>
                        assign the <color> of foreground. The default <color>
                        is "white".
  -H, --fixed           turn on the switch to use fixed height of the font.

outline command

usage: fontmaker.exe outline [-h] [-n <file>] [-d <directory>] [-f <file>]
                             [-s <number>] [-c <color>] [-l <color>] [-b <color>]
                             char-list-file

positional arguments:
  char-list-file        The char list file.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -n <file>, --name <file>
                        assign a <file> to get the filename list. The default
                        <file> is "filename.lst".
  -d <directory>, --dir <directory>
                        assign the <directory> to store output files. The
                        default directory is "out".
  -f <file>, --font <file>
                        assign a font filename. The default font is
                        "arial.ttf".
  -s <number>, --size <number>
                        assign a font size. The default size is "40".
  -c <color>, --fore <color>
                        assign the <color> of foreground. The default <color>
                        is "white".
  -l <color>, --outline <color>
                        assign the <color> of outline/shadow. The default <color>
                        is "gray".
  -b <color>, --back <color>
                        assign the <color> of background. The default <color>
                        is "black".
  -H, --fixed           turn on the switch to use fixed height of the font.

shadow11 command

usage: fontmaker.exe shadow11 [-h] [-n <file>] [-d <directory>] [-f <file>]
                              [-s <number>] [-c <color>] [-l <color>]
                              [-b <color>]
                              char-list-file

positional arguments:
  char-list-file        The char list file.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -n <file>, --name <file>
                        assign a <file> to get the filename list. The default
                        <file> is "filename.lst".
  -d <directory>, --dir <directory>
                        assign the <directory> to store output files. The
                        default directory is "out".
  -f <file>, --font <file>
                        assign a font filename. The default font is
                        "arial.ttf".
  -s <number>, --size <number>
                        assign a font size. The default size is "40".
  -c <color>, --fore <color>
                        assign the <color> of foreground. The default <color>
                        is "white".
  -l <color>, --outline <color>
                        assign the <color> of outline/shadow. The default
                        <color> is "gray".
  -b <color>, --back <color>
                        assign the <color> of background. The default <color>
                        is "black".
  -H, --fixed           turn on the switch to use fixed height of the font.

shadow21 command

usage: fontmaker.exe shadow21 [-h] [-n <file>] [-d <directory>] [-f <file>]
                              [-s <number>] [-c <color>] [-l <color>]
                              [-b <color>]
                              char-list-file

positional arguments:
  char-list-file        The char list file.

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -n <file>, --name <file>
                        assign a <file> to get the filename list. The default
                        <file> is "filename.lst".
  -d <directory>, --dir <directory>
                        assign the <directory> to store output files. The
                        default directory is "out".
  -f <file>, --font <file>
                        assign a font filename. The default font is
                        "arial.ttf".
  -s <number>, --size <number>
                        assign a font size. The default size is "40".
  -c <color>, --fore <color>
                        assign the <color> of foreground. The default <color>
                        is "white".
  -l <color>, --outline <color>
                        assign the <color> of outline/shadow. The default
                        <color> is "gray".
  -b <color>, --back <color>
                        assign the <color> of background. The default <color>
                        is "black".
  -H, --fixed           turn on the switch to use fixed height of the font.