You need to get hold of some software - there are various options, depending
on how much money you can spare. You can then either amend an existing font, or
create your own from scratch.
Fontlab and Fontographer are the professionals
choices, but are complicated and expensive.
Softy and Font Creator are two
shareware font creation programs.
Perhaps the cheapest method, however, is to use CorelDraw. Older versions of Draw are frequently available cheaply, either new or secondhand, and will allow you to create TrueType fonts, although the program lacks the finer controls of the dedicated font creation programs.
If you are planning on distributing your font, for example on ABF, here are some things to consider:
Many of the fonts posted on ABF are conversions from Macintosh to PC, or between TrueType and Type 1. Conversion can be done using the font creation applicatons listed above, or with a program like CrossFont.
Beware however. Problems can arise with font names, kerning, etc. in
conversion. If you can, check to make sure everything has converted properly,
using a program like Typograf.
If you are considering converting from Type 1 to TrueType, you should consider instead installing Adobe Type Manager Light (free from Adobe) so you can use the fonts directly. Any conversion will lose detail, and as Type 1 and TrueType use very different mathematical processes to describe glyphs, this is especially true of this type of conversion.
Also be aware that although Windows can now handle long filenames, many people
still use DOS, or older Windows program that cannot. If you can stick to the
8.3 filename style, so everyone will be able to use your font easily.
· Click here for a conversion tutorial using Alladin Expander, Crossfont, and Typograf. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free download from here.)
Make sure you have included all the metrics information (spacing and kerning) as well as the font shapes. For example, in Fontographer, go to File/Import/Metrics and import Ascent/descent, and then repeat and import Kerning/spacing before generating your converted font.
The copyrighting of fonts is a disputed area, and differs from country to
country. In the US, for example, it is arguable that the actual design of a
font cannot be copyrighted, but its name and some of the extra code in the font
file can.
There is a further grey area around clones - fonts which are very similar but
not exactly the same as other fonts.
In general, unless you have created a font yourself, you should be aware that
posting it may mean breaking the law. That includes converted fonts, or fonts
you've added additional characters to.
However, if you create it yourself from scratch, you own any copyright and so it is up to you what you do with it - and it will probably be very welcome on ABF.