I’m very very new to font design in general and to FontCreator in particular (in fact, I’m still evaluating the software).
I have created a Unicode font and added 12-14 glyphs in the Private Use area starting with E000. I am able to install this font and all the glyphs appear in Windows Character Map. However, when I go to MS Word 2010 and try to insert a symbol, when I pull up the new font, only glyph E001 on later displays as selectable. The first glyph is now showing. Thinking this might be a Word quirk, I tried doing a similar action in Adobe InDesign and it also doesn’t show the glyph at position E000.
Is there a particular setting in FontCreator that would allow this glyph to display in these applications that otherwise isn’t needed in order to display in the Character Map? Are these programs designed to ignore that first glyph? Any insight you provide would be great. My colleagues won’t let me proceed with this font until I can explain this behavior… even though it may not matter for our particular use of this font.
I can’t comment on that, as I’m running Word 2007.
However that version does show the first character in the private use area.
Same goes for Windows Character Map.
If you send the font to me, and I see how it works here.
We removed all glyphs except the private use area… so E000 is the first glyph in the font. I wonder if that’s causing issues. Perhaps a test on my part with a new font where I retain the other glyphs…
If I send you the font, where should I send it (email attachment?) and do you need the font file or the FontCreator file (if that’s easily transportable)?
Indeed. That was the problem. Created a new font and added my glyphs to the private use area. As a test, I deleted all but two pre-existing glyphs that came before the private use area. When I installed that and opened the Insert → Symbol dialog in Word, my new glyphs all showed but of the two pre-existing ones I left in, only the second displayed. So it looks like Word (and InDesign) both ignore the first glyph (or the first set of four glyphs).
Are you, perhaps, suggesting RTFM? Yeah, I’m sure. I actually inherited this font job from someone who had started the font. I’m not only new to font design, I assumed the other guy knew what he was doing so even my first attempt to create a second font followed the basic steps he had done as far as removing the unwanted glyphs.
But thanks for confirming and pointing me in the right direction!
I’m glad to know you’ve managed to solve the issue.
Just in case you haven’t bought a license yet, please do buy a legal copy of FontCreator so we can continue to make great software and provide excellent support!
Yeah, I’m sure. I actually inherited this font job from someone who had started the font. I’m not only new to font design, I assumed the other guy knew what he was doing so even my first attempt to create a second font followed the basic steps he had done as far as removing the unwanted glyphs.