Inkscape SVG Font Editor Tutorial: A Game-Changer for Icon Fonts

As a web designer, you're likely no stranger to the challenges of creating icon fonts. From manually designing each icon to exporting multiple PNG files for different colors and sizes, it can be a time-consuming and tedious process. However, with Inkscape's SVG font editor feature, you can take a more streamlined approach to creating icon fonts.

To get started, make sure you've converted all shapes, types, and lines to paths in your Inkscape document. Then, open the document that holds your designs and follow these steps:

Preparation

If you're new to Inkscape's font editor feature, don't worry – it's easy to learn. With a bit of practice, you'll be creating icon fonts like a pro. First, ensure that all shapes, types, and lines are converted to paths. Then, check your drawing in outline mode to confirm.

Creating an Icon Font

To create an icon font using Inkscape, follow these steps:

1. Open the Inkscape document containing your designs.

2. Select all the icons you want to include in your font.

3. Go to Text > Font > Create a new font.

4. Choose the desired font family and size.

5. Click OK to create the font.

Assigning Icons to Characters

Once you've created your font, you can assign each icon to a specific character. This is where things get really interesting. With Inkscape's SVG font editor feature, you can associate each icon with a unique character, making it easy to use in your website's CSS.

For example, if you have an icon for social media sharing, you can assign the icon to the '@' symbol. Then, in your CSS, you can simply reference the '@ ' symbol to display the icon.

Implementing Your Icon Font

To implement your new icon font on your website, follow these steps:

1. Upload your font file (e.g., .ttf or .woff) to your server.

2. Include the font file in your CSS using the `@font-face` rule.

3. Use the character-based approach to reference each icon in your CSS.

For example:

```css

.social-share {

font-family: 'MyIconFont';

font-size: 24px;

color: #333;

}

.social-share:before {

content: '@'; /* reference the '@' symbol, which is associated with the social media sharing icon */

}

```

Inkscape's SVG font editor feature offers a powerful and streamlined approach to creating icon fonts. By following these steps, you can create a single file font set that includes each icon assigned to a unique character. This method eliminates the need for manually designing each icon and exporting multiple PNG files.

With this tutorial, you'll be well on your way to creating professional-looking icon fonts using Inkscape's SVG font editor feature. Happy designing!

Inkscape svg font editor tutorial