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I recently acquired some fonts that reproduce German cursive (Kurrentschrift and Sütterlin). However, they have less-than-entirely-obvious names. I can't install a font editor or other font tool to rename the actual font (organizational restrictions); is there a way that I can create an alias for a font, so that I can e.g., call for "Sütterlin" in a program (Word, etc.) and have it pick up "VolkRedis" (which is the actual font name)?

Jeff Zeitlin
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You could use Font substitution.

Font substitution is set via the registry under the registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes.

For example, adding an entry under this key named Sütterlin with the value of VolkRedis, indicates to substitute the Sütterlin font with the VolkRedis font.

You can do this via a .reg file that contains:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
"Sütterlin"="VolkRedis"

For more information see the Microsoft article Font-name.

harrymc
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  • This is half of what I want; if I have an existing document that calls for Sütterlin, this will use the VolkRedis to display the Sütterlin text. It doesn't do the other half: Make available a "Sütterlin" entry in the various applications' font menus. – Jeff Zeitlin Dec 26 '19 at 20:48
  • A wild idea is to copy the font's file in `C:\Windows\Fonts`, rename it, and also change its name in its meta-data, therefore in effect creating a new and duplicate font. See [this post](https://superuser.com/questions/120593/how-do-you-change-a-ttf-font-name). – harrymc Dec 26 '19 at 20:54
  • Can't change the name in the metadata; that requires installing software that organizationally is disallowed. See the question again, "***I can't install a font editor or other font tool to rename the actual font (organizational restrictions); is there a way...***". – Jeff Zeitlin Dec 27 '19 at 11:47
  • There exist online font editors. The first on Google was [FontArk](https://fontark.net/farkwp/). – harrymc Dec 27 '19 at 11:51
  • Organizationally blocked, ostensibly category "Games". This sort of thing is why I'm looking for a way to alias the font, rather than simply renaming it. – Jeff Zeitlin Dec 27 '19 at 11:53
  • It seems like you will need to do that from some other computer, or in a virtual machine. – harrymc Dec 27 '19 at 11:54
  • In other words, the only option is to rename the font, rather than aliasing it? – Jeff Zeitlin Dec 27 '19 at 11:56
  • Yes, but renaming the file is not enough. The metadata also needs to be modified, since Windows goes by the metadata and not by the file-name. Otherwise, aliasing is the only solution. – harrymc Dec 27 '19 at 12:08
  • _Aliasing_ is what I'm trying to do, but your solution seems to be to _rename_ the font - and I do understand the difference between renaming the _font_ vs. renaming the _font file_. Are you in fact telling me that my only option is to rename the font? Or is there a way to alias it such that the alias will show up in the font list for e.g., a new document in Word. – Jeff Zeitlin Dec 27 '19 at 12:12
  • The font characteristics are contained *inside* the font file, which includes its name, family, sizes etc. When searching/using fonts this is the data that is accessed in the Windows font database. The font *file-name* itself is of no importance. That means that for really renaming a font, you need a font editor. Aliasing/substituting is simpler, just creating equivalents (and if you notice uses the font-name and not the file-name). – harrymc Dec 27 '19 at 12:27
  • Yes, I understand that. _That is precisely what I am asking how to do._ The font substitution table only does _half_ the job; I'm looking for the other half as well. – Jeff Zeitlin Dec 27 '19 at 12:35
  • For the other half (actually an alternative), you will need to edit the font. These two are the only solutions. – harrymc Dec 27 '19 at 12:46
  • @Jeff Zeitlin, to make available a "Sütterlin" entry in the various applications' font menus, install a font named "Sütterlin" in your system. Then the substitution described in this answer will do its job. – balazer Dec 16 '20 at 23:21
  • @balazer - that's part of the problem. I have a font that _is_ an implementation of Sütterlin script, but it's not called that, and I haven't found one that is. – Jeff Zeitlin Dec 18 '20 at 12:51
  • @JeffZeitlin, I don't believe the aliasing you want exists in Windows. You can use a font editing tool on a different machine to rename the font and then copy it over. – balazer Dec 20 '20 at 05:35