Exploring FontForge Libraries: UFO, XML and Unicode

FontForge supports different font technologies that help designers create, store, and share fonts easily. Some important ones are UFO, XMLand Unicode. Each of them helps FontForge handle fonts in different ways.
UFO (Unified Font Object)
UFO is a font format mainly used by font designers while developing a font.
Instead of storing everything in one big file, UFO stores font data in a folder with multiple readable files. These files contain information about glyph shapes, spacing, kerning, and other font details.
Because of this structure, UFO is very useful for:
Editing fonts easily
Working with other font tools
Tracking changes using version control systems like Git
FontForge can open, edit, and export UFO files, making it easier for designers to manage font projects.
XML
XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It is a format used to store data in a structured and readable way.
In FontForge, XML is used to store certain types of font information and metadata.
This helps because:
The data is organized and easy to read
Programs can easily process the information
Font settings and structures can be stored clearly
FontForge uses XML libraries to read and write this structured data.
Unicode
Unicode is a universal system that assigns a unique number to every character used in languages around the world.
For example:
English letters
Tamil characters
Arabic scripts
Symbols and emojis
FontForge uses Unicode to connect each glyph in a font to a specific character. This ensures that when someone types a letter, the correct glyph from the font is displayed.
Unicode support allows FontForge to create fonts that work across different languages and platforms.
Pillow vs VTracer – What’s the Difference?
When working with images in Python, two libraries you might encounter are Pillow and VTracer. Although both deal with images, they serve very different purposes.
Pillow:
Pillow is a popular Python library used for general image processing. It is actually the modern version of the Python Imaging Library (PIL).
What Pillow Does
Pillow works with raster images (pixel-based images). It allows you to manipulate images by editing pixels.
Common Features
With Pillow you can:
Open and save images
Resize images
Crop images
Rotate images
Apply filters
Convert image formats (PNG, JPG, etc.)
Example
from PIL import Image
img = Image.open("photo.jpg")
img.resize((300,300))
img.save("resized.jpg")
When to Use Pillow
Use Pillow when you need to:
Edit photos
Resize or crop images
Apply filters
Convert image formats
Pillow is mainly used in image processing and computer vision projects.
VTracer:
VTracer is a library used for image vectorization. It converts raster images into vector graphics.
What VTracer Does
VTracer analyzes shapes in an image and converts them into SVG vector paths.
Key Features
Converts PNG/JPG to SVG
Detects shapes and outlines
Supports colored images
Produces scalable graphics
Example
import vtracer
vtracer.convert_image_to_svg_py("image.png", "output.svg")
When to Use VTracer
Use VTracer when you need to:
Convert images into vector graphics
Create scalable graphics
Vectorize logos or icons
Convert drawings into SVG