Modify the OS X system font

May 01, '03 09:13:00AM

Contributed by: Anonymous

If you want to change the system font under 10.2.5, there is really no known way to do so. TinkerTools does change some applications' fonts, but not that of the system. Unless you use a font editor application. I have a program called FontLab, and have created some great fonts to use with my personal docs.

The other day, I was thinking about creating a Lucida Grande (the default system font) version for myself with FontLab, then I thought maybe the system would accept a newly edited Lucida Grande font. So I edited (a copy of) the font with FontLab. What I dislike the most in the X system font is the kerning pattern: when I think of the elegant Geneva and Chicago fonts we had under OS 9, i really feel Lucida Grande as hugly.
,br> To edit a .dfont file with FontLab, you have to choose "Open All" in the first dialog menu. Then once in FontLab, just proceed the way you want. In my case, I selected all characters, then I did a Tools -> Transform -> Contour -> Scale command, and scaled Lucida to a 80% horizontal scale.

To save your changes, you have to save the font as a dfont suitcase, so that the system can read it. To do so, use File -> Generate Mac suitcase, then select destination format "Macintosh truetype," and don't forget to check the "Write resources in data fork" button. You then get a new .dfont generated file, about 450 Kb.

Now you must replace the original Lucida Grande with your modified one. To do so, use your root account, and be sure to give the new font the sames privileges the old one has (system/wheel). Just replace the /System -> Fonts -> Lucida Grande.dfont with your modified version (keep the old one, just in case). You don't have to restart, just a logt out, log in, and here is your new system font! A new Finder, new Dock font, everything seems weird now, but you quickly get used to it. I have done this last Friday, and had no trouble so far, so i presume there is no potential problem doing this trick. Try it!

[robg adds: FontLab is an expensive application (over $500 US), but I'm not sure if there are other cheaper alternatives that may allow the same type of editing...]

Comments (5)


Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20030427100505913