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font-faceconverters

What mechanism is behind font-face generator?

I wonder, how easily @font-face generator of fontsquirrel dot com easily converts fonts to different versions and make a css for us within a minute. The CSS is not my issue, I wonder why there is no other service like this available on the web or off the net. I found font2web dot com, but that not works always.

I am eager how they make some converter like this in fontsquirrel? What is the basis?

Solution

  • I can't tell you how others do that, because they usually don't really advertise it, but i can tell you how I made this: http://freedockstar.com/fontface/

    Idea is simple really. I have linux machine with FontForge installed. Now when you upload a font file, PHP calls fontforge with custom script to convert uploaded file, generates css, preview in html format, packages it all to one zip file and sends output the user. FontForge script i'm using looks like that:

    #!/usr/local/bin/fontforge
Open($1)
Generate($2:r + ".ttf")
Open($1)
Generate($2:r + ".otf")
Open($1)
Generate($2:r + ".eot")
Open($1)
Generate($2:r + ".svg")
Open($1)
Generate($2:r + ".woff")

    Nothing more to it. except of course for all the PHP and JS to make it work with web interface ;)