How to merge an emoji TTF file and a font TTF file?

Question

I'd been trying to merge my favorite fonts, so that I could use them as my system default font. I succeeded merging two fonts using the zFont tool app, but when I tried to merge an emoji TTF file with a font file, it said it's a bitmap file and it's not supported. I also tried to merge them with FontForge, but I got the somewhat same error that said a bitmap file can't be merged. If you know any app or website that can merge an emoji with a font, I'd be happy to see your solution :)

user_18042207 · Answer

SOLVED: How to merge fonts with color emoji

After 8 hours of desperately searching how to do this on the internet, I've finally found a way to merge color emoji font into a text font.

This repository is for people in the future who has the exact problem that I'm having.

This is a step-by-step tutorial to merge two fonts together while keeping the color in emojis.

View the tutorial on GitHub, because I can't embed images yet.

STEP 1: Download FontLab

Download FontLab from their official site, install and open it.

STEP 2: Open the fonts file

After opening FontLab, click File -> Open Fonts on the top left.
You need to open the base font and the emoji font you want to merge.

STEP 3: Merge the fonts

Select the Emoji font tab you've just opened, click anywhere on the characters table.
Press CTRL+A CTRL+C to copy the characters.
Select the Base font tab, click anywhere on the characters table.
Press CTRL+V to paste the characters you've just copied from emoji.
A box will appear, select the Append glyphs, keep existing glyphs unchanged option.
After doing this, the color emojis should appear in the Base font.

STEP 4: Export the font

Click File -> Export Font As
Click the Customize button in the bottom right of the box.
Scroll down and check the OT+COLR: Windows (TT-only) option.

RESULT:

Two .ttf files should appear in the folder that you've exported to.
The font with -COLR at the end of the name is the merged font with color emoji.

Downloads:

Here are the Segoe UI fonts that I've merged, in case you need exactly these fonts, I'll leave them here for you:

tags: Fontforge, FontLab, Glyphs, Fontcreator, Fonts merge, Fonts combine, Font merge, Font combine