Character Select Window

Working Area

Preview Window

Character Edit Window

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Use the character edit window to design the characters of your font project. To open a character edit window, double click on a character in the character select window. The character edit window consists of 9 parts, which are the following:

Character edit window

1. Unicode name of the edited character.
2. Name of the background file. You can import a background (bitmap, TrueType font, WMF file) into the editing area (7) to help you with drawing. If you have not imported a background, you can see 'NONE'.
3. Zoom ratio of the editing area (7). Zoom ratio must be between 100% and 500%.
4. The mouse coordinates in grid units.
5. The mouse coordinates in pixels.
6. Unicode index of the edited character.
7. The editing area is the place for you to design your characters. Here you can put several kinds of patterns and super patterns. You can find six special guidelines in this area to help you with drawing:
   Horizontal and vertical Baseline: the thick gray lines define the horizontal and vertical baseline position of the character. Usually the bottom-left corner of the character is adjusted to the vertical baseline position.
   Line Gap: Line gap defines the horizontal baseline position of the character line below. This setting is a global setting to your font. If you drag it to a new position when editing a character, it will change this setting for all the characters.
   
   Illustrating Line Gap
   Advance width: The Advance width line defines the left kerning of the next character. This setting is one of the most important things in creating good working pixel fonts. The advance width value needs to be set up separately for each character you create. This is usually one or two pixels wide from the right edge of the character.
   
   Illustrating Advance Width
   X-Height: X-height indicates the heights of the small letters. Its value is said to be the height of the Latin small letter x. In most cases x-Height does not have an effect on text rendering on monitors, so you can hide and show this line in View menu.
   
   Illustrating X Height
   Caps Height: Caps height indicates the height of the capital letters. Its value is said to be the height of the Latin capital letter H. In most cases Caps Height does not have an effect on text rendering on monitors, so you can hide and show this line in View menu.
   
   Illustrating Caps Height
8. Horizontal and vertical rulers: These show the row and column you are currently editing.
9. Title: Title shows the Unicode index of the edited character. The first value is decimal, the second is hexadecimal (in the square brackets).