Bastardica

live

Browser tool that mixes glyphs from two fonts into one downloadable hybrid web font

via Show HN ↗

Design

15/100

Health

Key features

Mix glyphs from multiple fontsSwap glyphs from one or more mix-in fonts into a base font at set strides.
Google Fonts or your own uploadsLoad the full Google Fonts list or upload your own font files for either side of the mix.
Alignment effectsAdjust mix-in glyphs with scale and Y-offset so they sit well with the base font.
TTF, OTF and WOFF2 exportDownload the result as a standard OpenType font, including WOFF2 for the web.
Runs entirely in the browserUses Pyodide and fontTools client-side, so uploaded fonts never leave your machine.
Randomize and presetsDice buttons randomize fonts and effects, and presets load saved settings.

Overview

Bastardica is a joke-but-working browser tool for making "bastard" fonts: you pick a base font and one or more mix-in fonts, and it swaps glyphs from the mix-in into the base at regular strides. Think Times New Roman where every few letters come from a different typeface. It was inspired by Times New Bastard and Easy Pete.

You can choose fonts from Google Fonts or upload your own, pick weights, randomize choices, and adjust the mix-in glyphs with effects such as scale and Y-offset so they line up. Presets load saved settings, and you can add more than two fonts; the page suggests prime-number strides to reduce collisions. Downloads are available as TTF, OTF or WOFF2.

The output is a normal OpenType font that uses a ligature substitution enabled by default, so it works in browsers and most design tools as long as ligatures are not turned off. Everything runs locally in your browser with Pyodide and fontTools, so uploaded fonts are not sent anywhere. Bastardica adds no license conditions of its own, but a mixed font is a derivative work, so check the licenses of the source fonts before commercial use.