What is a Bitmap Font
A Bitmap Font is a digital file that contains a set of glyphs (characters) that are graphically related to each other. When enlarged, the edges of a bitmap font get jagged unlike a scalable font which looks the same no matter how much you enlarge it. This is because a bitmap font is comprised of several pixels that make up a single glyph which causes quality degradation when you zoom in.
In this article we will be exploring 3 Free Online Bitmap Font Generator websites that you can use to generate and download Bitmap Font files easily and quickly.
1. Karetkar
This is a simple open-source application that allows you to create bitmap fonts using custom glyph sets and then export it to an OTF (OpenType Format) file. You can use it to design fonts for specific use cases as it does not require the creation of all possible glyphs. Just click on the link that we have provided below to navigate to this website.
Choose the character that you want to generate by clicking on it in the gallery on the right of the page and then use the various tools such as basic pencil, eraser, fill and shape to draw the glyph per your requirements. Further, click on all the characters (if required) from the gallery one by one and repeat the same operation as above to design them. Remember to click on the ‘Submit’ button to save the glyph after it is created.
Once you have finished designing all the glyphs, click on the ‘Export’ button followed by the ‘Confirm’ button, enter a font family and style name, and click on ‘Ok’ to save the font in OTF format.
Click here to navigate to Karetkar Bitmap Font Generator.
2. BitFontMaker from Pentacom
This is yet another Bitmap Font Generator that you can use to create Bitmap Fonts that you can export as a TTF (TrueType Font) file. Just click on the link that we have provided below to navigate to this tool.
BitFontMaker works much the same as the previous tool but allows you to create lower as well as uppercase characters, numbers and special characters which was not possible with Karetkar. Select the character that you want to generate from the map towards the right of the page and then click n on the ‘magic wand’ icon to automatically generate the basic shape. You can then go ahead and modify the glyph as required by clicking on the squares in the grid. Alternatively, you can also start from scratch in case you wish to create a completely different type of glyph for the chosen character. Further, click on all the characters (if required) from the gallery one by one including the numerical and special characters and repeat the same operation as above to design them.
To preview the glyphs, click on the ‘Draw’ button in the ‘Test Drive’ section. When you are satisfied with the results and have finished generating the required characters, click on the button ‘Build Font’, input the name of the Font and Author, and then click on ‘Build’ to download the font file to your system in TTF format.
Click here to navigate to BitFontMaker.
3. SnowB Bitmap Font
This program will allow you to generate bitmap fonts from TrueType fonts. It generates both image files and character descriptions that can be easily rendered by any application. Just click on the link that we have given below to use this tool.
Click on the button ‘Add Font File’ and upload the TrueType Font file from your local system. Now, use the tools and features in the sidebars on the left of the screen to modify the font size, max. width & height, padding, spacing, offsets and more. You can use the sidebar towards the right to configure the style of the strokes and shadows, background colour and more.
The preview of all the changes that you are making will be available in the middle of the workspace in real time. When you are satisfied with the output, you can click on the ‘Export’ link in the top navigation bar, input the font and file name, choose the output file format such as fnt, xml etc and then click on ‘Save’ to download the file to your system.
Click on this link to navigate to SnowB Bitmap Font.
Closing Comments:
You can try out the free websites above to generate Bitmap Fonts for yourself and download the font files to your computer. Spend some time with each tool and research on them and see which one best suits your requirements.
