Introduction
In the world of typography and web design, having a consistent and visually appealing font is essential. This article will discuss how to merge certain font variants by combining multiple TTF files into one, using the Libre Baskerville font as an example. This technique is particularly helpful if you want to use a specific font on your Google-hosted or self-hosted WordPress website, but not all necessary font weights or styles are available.
Selecting and Downloading the Libre Baskerville Font
First, begin by visiting the Google Fonts website and select the Libre Baskerville font, including the desired weights or styles. Once the desired variants are chosen, do not embed the Google Font code. Instead, proceed to download the TTF files with the selected variations. This process can be completed by clicking the "Download family" button.
Merging Multiple TTF Files using FontForge
To merge the multiple TTF files into a single font, we'll use a free, open-source program called FontForge. Download and install the FontForge application on your computer from the official FontForge website.
Step 1: Open FontForge
Launch FontForge and select "Open" from the "File" menu. Then navigate to the location of the downloaded TTF files and open the base font—in this case, the regular Libre Baskerville font.
File → Open → [Choose the regular Libre Baskerville TTF file]
Step 2: Import Additional Font Styles
After opening the base font, import the additional TTF files as follows:
Elements → Font Info → (Choose the "PS Names" tab) → Add Fonts…
In the "Add Fonts" dialog, locate the additional TTF files and click "Open". These files may include variant weights (e.g., Semibold, Bold, etc.) or styles (such as Italic).
Step 3: Merge Similar Glyphs
Once the additional fonts are imported, merge the glyphs with the base font. This can be done for each style or weight. FontForge will automatically match glyphs—however, ensure that all glyphs have been merged properly before proceeding.
Element → Glyph Info → Merge Glyphs / Merge Duplicate Glyphs
Repeat the merging for all imported styles or weights.
Step 4: Save the Combined Font
After merging the glyphs, save the combined font by selecting "Generate Fonts" from the "File" menu:
File → Generate Fonts
In the "Save" window, give your combined font a name and carefully select the "OpenType (CFF)" format, as it provides better web performance than the TrueType (TTF) format. Additionally, ensure that the "Check for Duplicate Glyphs" option is checked.
Implementing the Merged Libre Baskerville Font on Your WordPress Website
After merging the TTF files in FontForge and saving the resulting font, you can now upload or embed the merged Libre Baskerville font on your WordPress website. Use an appropriate plugin or manually upload it to your server.
Using a Plugin
There are various WordPress plugins available that enable uploading custom font files. One such plugin is "Insert Headers and Footers":
- Install and activate the plugin in your WordPress admin area.
- Navigate to "Settings" → "Insert Headers and Footers".
- In the "Scripts in Footer" text area, input the following code:
@font-face {
font-family: 'Libre Baskerville Merged';
src: url('[Your Merged Font File URL]') format('opentype');
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal;
}Replace [Your Merged Font File URL] with the URL to the merged Libre Baskerville font file (for example: https://yourwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/your_merged_libre_baskerville.otf). Save your changes.
Manual Upload
For a manual upload, follow these steps:
- Upload the merged font file to your WordPress installation. Typically, the "wp-content/uploads" or "wp-content/themes" folder is used.
- Add the following code to your CSS file or the appropriate theme template file:
@font-face {
font-family: 'Libre Baskerville Merged';
src: url('[Your Merged Font File URL]') format('opentype');
font-weight: normal;
font-style: normal;
}Replace [Your Merged Font File URL] with the URL to the merged Libre Baskerville font file.
- Merging certain font variants using FontForge makes it easy to combine multiple TTF files into one.
- This technique allows you to use Libre Baskerville (and other desired fonts) on your Google-hosted or self-hosted WordPress website.
- While FontForge is an essential tool for merging fonts, you can use WordPress plugins or manual uploads to implement the merged Libre Baskerville font on your website.