Abstract: A method and system for parametrically generating characters and fonts. A font generation system is run on a computer and allows a user to create a Terafont binary file, which includes a set of universal font generation rules that are applied to generating fonts consistent with a common type of alphabet, and parametric data files, each of which specify a particular font. The user can create a new font, or replicate an existing font. The parametric data are distributed as files or embedded in documents. One or more characters of a font are generated using a font engine that executes the Terafont binary file on a computer using the parametric data specifying that font as an input. The parametric data provided to the font engine at least include a minimal set of font measurement data, such as a PANOSE.TM. number, which are used to compute global variables representing typographic characteristics common to many--if not all--of the glyphs in the font.