Bezy

Bezy is a cross-platform, Rust-based font editor with a built-in bidirectional (RTL/LTR) text editor. It draws inspiration from technical-user oriented customizable editors like RoboFont and MFEK, while reimagining font editing for contemporary Unix-like AI and CLI heavy workflows. The core dependancies are: Bevy, HarfRust, Norad, Kurbo, Fontc, FontIR.

Bezy is written in the Rust programming language using a game engine to create a performant, fun, and aesthetic experience that keeps users in a flow state. Rust has great documentation, a friendly compiler with useful error messages, top-notch tooling, and an integrated package manager and build tool. With help from AI tools like Claude Code and Gemini CLI, it can be easier to use than Python. Don't be intimidated if you are not an expert programmer—this application is designed for students, designers, and artists to be able to customize it and make their own tools. This project is a spiritual sucsessor to the RoboFont design principles:

A typeface designer (who does not want to do any scripting and has no means of letting someone else do that work), has to deal with the available user interface, tool set, feature set, and the list of bugs in the typeface design applications they use. This makes the designer a captive to the development of applications that are often merely production tools and not intended for design. Not being (partly) the designer of your own tools puts a designer in a vulnerable position.

We aim to be an open and welcoming community that values working in the open and sharing knowledge. Contributors of all skill levels are welcome.

“The enjoyment of one's tools is an essential ingredient of successful work.”
—Donald Knuth

“Many have tried to replace FontForge—all have failed. I might fail, in fact, history says I probably will. Yet, the current state of affairs is so bad I feel I must try.” —Fredrick Brennan

Installation

Prerequisites

Install Rust by following the official instructions at https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install

Verify installation:

cargo --version

Building from Source

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/bezy-org/bezy.git
cd bezy

Step 2: Build and Run

# Build and run
cargo run

# Build with optimizations (slower to compile, faster to run)
cargo run --release

# Build and run with a specific font source (UFO or designspace)
cargo run -- --edit path/to/your/font.ufo

First Time Build

The first build will take a few minutes as it downloads and compiles all dependencies. Subsequent builds will be much faster (usually under 30 seconds).

Troubleshooting Performance Issues

• Use cargo run --release for the best performance

Installing as a Command Line Tool

You can install Bezy globally to use it as a command-line tool from anywhere on your system.

Install from Source

# From within the bezy directory after cloning
cargo install --path .

# Or install directly from GitHub
cargo install --git https://github.com/bezy-org/bezy.git

Using the Installed Command

Once installed, you can run Bezy from anywhere:

# Run with default settings
bezy

# Edit a specific font (UFO or designspace)
bezy --edit ~/Fonts/MyFont.ufo

# Use with any command line flags
bezy --theme lightmode --edit MyFont.ufo

Updating Bezy

To update Bezy after making changes or pulling new updates:

# If you're working from the cloned repository
cd /path/to/bezy
git pull
cargo install --path .

# Or reinstall directly from GitHub
cargo install --git https://github.com/bezy-org/bezy.git

# If you are having trouble updating try with --force
cargo install --path . --force

Uninstalling

To remove the globally installed version:

cargo uninstall bezy

Installation Location

By default, Cargo installs binaries to ~/.cargo/bin/. Make sure this directory is in your PATH. If it's not, add this to your shell configuration file (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.):

export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"

Command Line Flags

Bezy is designed to be used as a command line tool in Unix-style workflows. If you aren't familiar with working this way, it's worth learning and will save you time in the long run.

Basic Usage

bezy [OPTIONS]

Unified Font Source Handling

The --edit flag intelligently handles both UFO directories and designspace files:

• Single UFO: Shows a clean interface without master selection controls
• Designspace: Shows master selector circles for switching between different masters

Common Flag Options

Flag	Short	Description	Example
--edit <PATH>	-e	Edit a font source (UFO directory or .designspace file)	bezy --edit MyFont.ufo
--theme <NAME>	-t	Set the color theme	bezy --theme lightmode
--no-default-buffer		Start without default text buffer	bezy --no-default-buffer
--help	-h	Show help information	bezy --help
--version	-V	Show version information	bezy --version

Themes

Bezy includes four built-in themes embedded in the application and supports optional custom theme creation:

Built-in Themes

• darkmode (default) - Dark background with light text
• lightmode - Light background with dark text
• strawberry - Pink/red/green theme
• campfire - Warm orange/brown theme

These themes are embedded in the application and work in both development and installed modes.

Custom Themes (Optional)

You can optionally create and edit your own themes by creating a ~/.bezy/themes/ directory. The theme system works as follows:

Default behavior: Uses embedded themes (no setup required) With ~/.bezy/themes/: Uses themes from this directory when it exists

Theme Loading Priority:

1. If ~/.bezy/themes/ exists → Load themes from ~/.bezy/themes/*.json
2. If not → Use embedded themes (default)
3. Hot-reload: When using custom themes, changes are reflected instantly when you save the file

Creating Custom Themes:

# Optional: Create themes directory for customization
mkdir -p ~/.bezy/themes

# Copy built-in theme as starting point (get from src/ui/themes/ in source)
# Or create your own JSON file following the theme structure

# Use your custom theme
bezy --theme mytheme

Note: You don't need to create ~/.bezy/themes/ unless you want to customize themes. The built-in themes work out of the box.

Examples

# Edit a single UFO (no master selector shown)
bezy --edit ~/Fonts/MyFont.ufo

# Edit a designspace for variable fonts (master selector shown)
bezy --edit ~/Fonts/MyVariable.designspace

# Use the built-in test font with strawberry theme
bezy --theme strawberry

# Combine as many flags as you need
bezy --edit ~/Fonts/MyFont.ufo --theme lightmode

# Short form using -e
bezy -e MyFont.ufo

Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action	Context
Cmd/Ctrl + Z	Undo	Global
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z	Redo	Global
Cmd/Ctrl + S	Save font	Global
Cmd/Ctrl + G	Show glyph palette	Global
Escape	Clear selection / Exit tool	Selection mode
Cmd/Ctrl + A	Select all points	Selection mode

Navigation

Shortcut	Action
Home	Go to first glyph
End	Go to last glyph
Cmd/Ctrl + Plus	Zoom in
Cmd/Ctrl + Minus	Zoom out
T	Toggle zoom to cursor

Selection & Editing

Shortcut	Action	Context
Arrow Keys	Nudge selected points (1 unit)	Points selected
Shift + Arrow Keys	Nudge selected points (10 units)	Points selected
Cmd/Ctrl + Arrow Keys	Nudge selected points (100 units)	Points selected
Click + Drag	Select points with marquee	Selection tool
Shift + Click	Add to selection	Selection tool

Camera Controls

Control	Action
Mouse Wheel	Zoom in/out
Left/Middle Mouse + Drag	Pan view
T	Toggle zoom to cursor on/off

Usage Guide

Working with Edit-Mode Tools

The edit-mode toolbar provides access to various editing tools. Each tool has specific behaviors:

• Selection Tool: Select and manipulate points
• Pen Tool: Add new points and curves
• Knife Tool: Cut paths at specific points
• Text Tool: Edit text samples for testing
• Measure Tool: Measure distances between points

Tips for Beginners

1. Start with the built-in font: Run cargo run without arguments to explore with the default Bezy Grotesk font
2. Use release mode for smoother performance: cargo run --release
3. Save frequently: Use Cmd/Ctrl + S to save your changes
4. Experiment with themes: Try different themes to find what works best for your eyes
5. Read the code: If you don't understand how something works, read the source code. Use a tool like Claude Code if you need help. This project is designed to be understandable and modifyable by regular users.

File Format Support

Bezy currently supports:

• UFO 3 (Unified Font Object) - Individual font files
• Designspace - Variable font sources

UFO files are directories (folders) containing XML files that describe your font. They're human-readable, version-control friendly, and application independant.

License

GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3, 29 June 2007

The GNU General Public License is a copyleft license for software and other kinds of works.

Homepage

https://bezy.org