ModsFinder

Caxton

by flirora

Caxton adds TrueType and OpenType font support to Minecraft, so resource packs can load real font files for the game's text.

FabricForgeNeoForgeClient-side onlyMIT LicenseOpen source1.18.2 – 26.3

What it does

Fonts are read from the font files in a resource pack and drawn with multi-channel signed distance field rendering, which keeps text sharp at any size. Real bold and italic faces can be supplied as separate files. Complex text rendering is handled by a native library that also assists with text shaping. Caxton bundles that library for x86-64 Windows and common desktop systems; on other platforms the mod has to be built from source. The project does not use AWT. Two font packs are included: Inter and Open Sans.

Caxton is a client-side mod, so only the player needs it, and the server can run without it. It requires Fabric API. Files are published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across 27 release versions, 1.18.2 – 26.3, and snapshot builds are published too. The code is open source under the MIT License. Caxton is incompatible with Emojiful, and Soulbound is one of the catalog mods that requires it.

Key features

  1. Sharp text at any size

    Glyphs are rendered from distance fields, so text stays crisp when scaled up or down in the game interface.

  2. Real bold and italic fonts

    Bold, italic and bold italic styles can each point to their own font file instead of being simulated.

  3. Font provider type

    A caxton provider type accepts regular, bold, italic and bold italic keys, each set to a font file identifier.

  4. Fallback providers

    A caxton_providers entry in the font JSON is used when Caxton is installed, with the standard providers as fallback.

  5. Parallel font processing

    Generating distance fields from fonts is slow, so the process runs in parallel and the results are cached.

Compatibility

Latest build for each game version and loader.

26.x4 of 4 versions with builds
26.31.2.0-alpha.2+26.3-FABRICNot available1.2.0-alpha.2+26.3-NEOFORGE
26.21.1.0-alpha.3+26.2-FABRICNot available1.1.0-alpha.3+26.2-NEOFORGE
26.1.21.0.0-beta.2+26.1.2-FABRICNot available1.0.0-beta.2+26.1.2-NEOFORGE
26.11.0.0-alpha.2+26.1-FABRICNot available1.0.0-alpha.2+26.1-NEOFORGE
1.21.x12 of 12 versions with builds
1.21.110.9.0-beta.3+1.21.11-FABRICNot available0.9.0-beta.3+1.21.11-NEOFORGE
1.21.100.8.0-alpha.3+1.21.10-FABRICNot available0.8.0-alpha.3+1.21.10-NEOFORGE
1.21.90.8.0-alpha.3+1.21.10-FABRICNot available0.8.0-alpha.3+1.21.10-NEOFORGE
1.21.80.7.0+1.21.8-FABRICNot available0.7.0+1.21.8-NEOFORGE
1.21.70.7.0-beta.8+1.21.7-FABRICNot available0.7.0-beta.8+1.21.7-NEOFORGE
1.21.60.7.0-beta.6+1.21.6-FABRICNot available0.7.0-beta.6+1.21.6-NEOFORGE
1.21.50.6.4+1.21.5-FABRICNot available0.6.4+1.21.5-NEOFORGE
1.21.40.6.0-alpha.6+1.21.4-FABRICNot available0.6.0-alpha.6+1.21.4-NEOFORGE
1.21.30.6.0+1.21.1-FABRICNot available0.6.0-alpha.4+1.21.3-NEOFORGE
1.21.20.6.0+1.21.1-FABRICNot available0.6.0-alpha.4+1.21.3-NEOFORGE
1.21.10.6.4+1.21.1-FABRIC0.6.0-alpha.5+1.21.1-FORGE0.6.4+1.21.1-NEOFORGE
1.210.6.4+1.21.1-FABRIC0.6.0-alpha.5+1.21.1-FORGE0.6.4+1.21.1-NEOFORGE
1.20.x7 of 7 versions with builds
1.19.x3 of 3 versions with builds
1.18.x1 of 1 version with builds
ReleaseBetaAlphaNot available

This mod also publishes snapshot builds. Snapshots are not shown in the matrix.

Requirements

Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.

Required 1

Fabric APILightweight and modular API providing common hooks and intercompatibility measures utilized by mods using the Fabric toolchain.
Required

Required by 1 mod

Soulbound1.20.1 – 1.21.1

Use cases

Custom interface fonts

A resource pack can replace the game's text with a chosen typeface, using the bundled fonts or its own font file.

Font licensing checks

Resource pack authors who ship a font file are expected to read its license before distributing it.

Shader-based text packs

Packs that change core text shaders, such as Dark UI or Transparent UI, need changes to work with Caxton fonts.

Who it’s for: Resource pack authors who want TrueType or OpenType fonts in Minecraft, and players who run a resource pack that uses Caxton fonts on Fabric, Forge or NeoForge.

How it compares

Full comparison

NekoUI is client-side only, supports Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.20 – 1.21.11, and is not open source under a custom license. AnyFreeType is also client-side only, is open source under the MIT License, and covers Fabric and NeoForge for 1.21.4 – 1.21.8. Glyph is client-side only and open source under the MIT License, with files for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.14.4 – 26.2.

ModLoadersGame versionsEnvironmentUpdated
CaxtonFabric, Forge and NeoForge1.18.2 – 26.3Client-side only2026-09-16
NekoUIFabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt1.20 – 1.21.11Client-side only2025-12-22
AnyFreeTypeFabric and NeoForge1.21.4 – 1.21.8Client-side only2025-03-03
GlyphFabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt1.14.4 – 26.2Client-side only2026-06-16

Questions

Does Caxton need Fabric API?

Yes. Fabric API is listed as a required dependency, and the Fabric build depends on it to run.

Which loaders does Caxton support?

Caxton is published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge. The latest Forge file targets 1.20.4, while Fabric and NeoForge have files for 26.3.

Can a resource pack supply its own font?

Yes. A resource pack can add a font file and a settings file for rasterizing it. Its license should be checked before the pack is distributed.

In the catalog

Caxton is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.

Utility mods36,990Fabric modsMods for 26.38,071

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What the author says

Caxton, named after [William Caxton], is a Minecraft mod that adds TrueType and OpenType font support. The following mods are known to handle text layout incorrectly. They should not crash the game, but GUI elements from these mods might have unexpected behavior and might cause warnings to be shown in the log about…
flirora, on the Modrinth page

Official listing

Owner
flirora
Published
2022-11-24
Updated on Modrinth
2026-09-16
Facts verified
2026-10-15

Tags

Utility
Open on ModrinthCompare