3DS - System Font Customization Guide
A guide for customizing the system-wide font on the Nintendo 3DS.
Custom system font shown in this screenshot is "Pop Happiness".
Download the custom system fonts here
Getting Started
Luma3DS custom firmware is required to use the mod. Install CFW if you haven’t already.
Create a NAND backup before modifying any system files!
Modifying the system font is safe and can be restored by re-installing the original system font, instead of restoring a NAND backup.
To restore the system font, see the
restore section.
Never uninstall CFW while any modded system files are installed, doing so will brick the console! A
DS flashcart with ntrboot
is required to re-install B9S.
Modified system files are not signed which they don't work on the original firmware, as the signature check fails.
If you wanna uninstall CFW before selling your console, you must restore the system files first, then follow the
CFW uninstallation instructions.
What you need:
-
A font you want to install on a 3DS (TTF or OTF)
-
CTR Font Converter (Legal Edition)
-
Python (version 3+)
-
FontTool (tweaked to work with Python 3)
-
Lime3DS emulator (for previewing the custom system font)
Merging the Fonts
A 3DS font will be merged into a custom system font so the icon glyphs are preserved.
-
Launch FontForge.
-
Open the custom font file (TTF/OTF).
-
Go to
Element
→Font Info...
→General
. -
Set the
Em Size
value to1000
and clickOK
. The custom font size will be adjusted so it matches the 3DS font size. Skip if em size is already 1,000. -
Go to
View
→Goto
, inputU+E000
into the text box to jump to the Private Use Area block. -
If the custom font contains any non-3DS glyphs in the PUA block, go to
File
→Execute Script
, input this code into the text box:fontforge.activeFont().selection.select(("ranges", None), 0xE000, 0xE07E) fontforge.activeFont().clear()
and click
OK
. This will clear out all the non-3DS glyphs in this block. -
Go to
Element
→Merge Fonts...
and select the 3DS font file. -
Click
Yes
when prompted to retain kerning info. -
Go to
File
→Generate Fonts...
. -
Pick
TrueType
in the combo-box, uncheckValidate Before Saving
, then clickGenerate
. -
On a File Explorer window, open the generated font file and install it.
Generating the Custom System Font
-
Launch CTR Font Converter.
-
You’ll be asked to install .NET Framework 3.5, click “Download and install this feature”.
-
Wait for the download to complete, then relaunch that app.
-
-
Go to the
Windows Font
tab and select a font that you installed earlier. -
Set the font size - start with 20px.
- If the font size is too big/small after installing to a 3DS, come back to it and try a different font size until you get it right.
-
Set the bit depth to
16 levels (A4)
. -
Activate the
Use filter
check-box, clickSelect file
, go to thexllt
folder and select the3ds_bitmap_font_std.xllt
file.- This will clear out all the glyphs not used in 3DS games/apps, reducing the font file size. Max file size for compressed BCFNT file (after running FontTool) is 1.5 MiB.
-
Go to the
bcfnt / bcfna
tab. -
Save the font file as
SystemFont.bcfnt
to theFontTool
folder. -
Click
Convert
. -
Go to the
FontTool
folder. -
Launch the Terminal window and input this command:
python FontTool.py -font SystemFont.bcfnt
or launch
Convert_System_Font.bat
. -
The
SystemFont.cia
file has been generated, rename “SystemFont” to anything you want.
Previewing the Custom System Font on Lime3DS
You can preview the custom system font on Lime3DS emulator before installing it to a 3DS.
AES Keys are required to install encrypted contents to Lime3DS.
Read here for more info.
If you have Citra emulator, the installation process works the same.
-
Launch Lime3DS emulator.
-
Go to
Emulation
→Configure...
→System
. -
Under the
3GX Plugins Loader
options, pick the system model and system region, then clickDownload
. -
Wait for the system firmware download to complete.
-
Close the configuration window.
-
Go to
File
→Install CIA...
. -
Select the generated CIA file.
-
Launch any of the system apps and see how the custom system font looks.
- If the font size is too big/small, repeat step 17 of the “Generating the Custom System Font” section and try a different font size until you get it right.
Installing the Custom System Font to 3DS
-
Add the generated CIA file to the SD Card.
-
Launch GodMode9.
-
Browse and select the CIA file.
-
Select
CIA image options...
→Install game image
.- You don’t need to encrypt it as
3dstool
(bundled inFontTool
) already did that.
- You don’t need to encrypt it as
-
Reboot the console.
-
The custom system font has been installed!
The button glyphs should be preserved.
The ZL/ZR/C-Stick/Start glyphs are part of the game's digital manual, not the system font.
Restoring the System Font
-
Download the original system font.
-
Add the
SystemFont.cia
file to the SD Card. -
Launch GodMode9.
-
Browse and select the
SystemFont.cia
file. -
Select
CIA image options...
→Install game image
. -
Reboot the console.
-
The system font has been restored.
- To restore the system font on Lime3DS, go to
File
→Install CIA...
and select theSystemFont.cia
file.
Tools Used
FontTool by astronautlevel2 & ihaveamac
3dstool by dnasdw
make_cia by Tiger21820 & 3DSGuy