Skip to main content

Glyphs MCP

Glyphs MCP splash

Glyphs MCP is a Model Context Protocol server for Glyphs 3. It runs as a Glyphs plug-in, exposes a local Streamable HTTP endpoint, and lets AI clients call font-specific tools against the fonts you already have open.

Current public docs URL:

https://thierryc.github.io/Glyphs-mcp/

What Glyphs MCP is​

Glyphs MCP gives an agent a structured way to inspect and operate Glyphs:

  • The Glyphs app stays the source of truth for your fonts, masters, glyphs, layers, kerning, spacing, and selection.
  • The Glyphs MCP plug-in runs inside Glyphs and bridges GlyphsApp APIs to MCP tools.
  • The local MCP server exposes those tools at http://127.0.0.1:9680/mcp/.
  • Your AI client calls tools such as list_open_fonts, review_spacing, generate_kerning_tab, or docs_search.

The design is tools-first: use deterministic, named tools before falling back to free-form code. Mutating workflows are built around read-before-write, dry-run or confirm-gated mutations, and no auto-save.

Who it is for​

  • Type designers who want practical assistance for spacing, kerning, proofing, and review workflows in Glyphs.
  • Font engineers who want inspectable automation around Glyphs files, UFO/designspace export, OpenType feature checks, and repeatable diagnostics.
  • Tool builders who want a local, scriptable bridge between Glyphs and modern AI clients without brittle UI automation.

Quickstart​

  1. Install the plug-in and dependencies:

    python3 install.py

  2. In Glyphs, start the local server:

    Edit -> Start Glyphs MCP Server

  3. Connect your MCP client to:

    http://127.0.0.1:9680/mcp/

  4. Verify with a read-only tool call:

    Call list_open_fonts and tell me how many fonts are open.
    If you see an error, quote it verbatim.

What you can do​

  • Inspect open fonts, masters, glyphs, components, paths, kerning, selection state, and selected nodes.
  • Generate kerning worklists, audit collisions or near-misses, and apply approved bumper fixes safely.
  • Review spacing suggestions, run dry runs, apply conservative sidebearing changes, and visualize the spacing model.
  • Inspect OpenType stylistic sets and feature-linked glyph groups.
  • Review stem prerequisites and apply guarded first-pass italic or oblique transforms.
  • Preview and apply compensated tuning transforms across compatible masters.
  • Export UFO masters and designspace documents with structured logs.
  • Search bundled Glyphs docs on demand with docs_search and docs_get.

For deeper workflow guidance, start with How Glyphs MCP works and Safety model.