IcoMoon is a tool and icon system, not a prose typeface
IcoMoon’s own history dates its release to November 2011 and describes its original custom-icon-font workflow. The current product has expanded into icon management and multiple export formats. An IcoMoon font is therefore usually a generated collection of selected symbols, not a decorative alphabet intended to change the appearance of an ordinary paragraph.
The official documentation explains how icons map to characters
The documentation for the new app, labeled beta, describes importing or creating icons and exporting formats including fonts and SVG. Its font section explains that imported glyphs receive Private Use Area code points by default, with editable mappings and optional ligatures. Those mappings belong to the generated project. Copying a private-use character alone does not carry its picture into an application that lacks the matching font.
Plan labels and meaning before generating a pack
For an independent navigation system, start with the actions and their text labels, then select a small coherent set of icons. Keep a visible or otherwise appropriate text equivalent for actions that would be ambiguous as a picture alone. Compare the whole set at its actual display size. A visually attractive pack still needs consistent stroke weight, apparent size and recognizable distinctions between neighboring actions.
Keep the project editable and choose an export deliberately
Preserve your selected icon set, mappings and intended labels as project information so future changes remain understandable. Use the official documentation for the app version you are working with and review the source pack’s author and license details. Choose between font and SVG export according to the application’s needs rather than assuming that an icon font is mandatory for every website or document.
Your questions, answered.
Why does an IcoMoon character show the wrong symbol elsewhere?
Generated icon fonts can use project-specific character mappings, including Private Use Area code points. The same character without the matching font need not display the intended icon.
Does IcoMoon only export fonts?
No. Its official history and current documentation describe multiple formats, including SVG. The cited new-app documentation is explicitly labeled beta.
Sources & background
Sources supporting this page’s explanations. Practical examples are our editorial suggestions.