1.. image:: ../../Icons/FontToolsIconGreenCircle.png
2   :width: 200px
3   :height: 200px
4   :alt: Font Tools
5   :align: center
6
7
8fontTools Docs
9==============
10
11About
12-----
13
14fontTools is a family of libraries and utilities for manipulating fonts in Python.
15
16The project has an `MIT open-source license <https://github.com/fonttools/fonttools/blob/master/LICENSE>`_. Among other things this means you can use it free of charge.
17
18Installation
19------------
20
21.. note::
22
23    fontTools requires `Python <http://www.python.org/download/>`_ 3.6 or later.
24
25The package is listed in the Python Package Index (PyPI), so you can install it with `pip <https://pip.pypa.io/>`_::
26
27    pip install fonttools
28
29See the Optional Requirements section below for details about module-specific dependencies that must be installed in select cases.
30
31Utilities
32---------
33
34fontTools installs four command-line utilities:
35
36- ``pyftmerge``, a tool for merging fonts; see :py:mod:`fontTools.merge`
37- ``pyftsubset``, a tool for subsetting fonts; see :py:mod:`fontTools.subset`
38- ``ttx``, a tool for converting between OpenType binary fonts (OTF) and an XML representation (TTX); see :py:mod:`fontTools.ttx`
39- ``fonttools``, a "meta-tool" for accessing other components of the fontTools family.
40
41This last utility takes a subcommand, which could be one of:
42
43- ``cffLib.width``: Calculate optimum defaultWidthX/nominalWidthX values
44- ``cu2qu``: Convert a UFO font from cubic to quadratic curves
45- ``feaLib``: Add features from a feature file (.fea) into a OTF font
46- ``help``: Show this help
47- ``merge``: Merge multiple fonts into one
48- ``mtiLib``: Convert a FontDame OTL file to TTX XML
49- ``subset``: OpenType font subsetter and optimizer
50- ``ttLib.woff2``: Compress and decompress WOFF2 fonts
51- ``ttx``: Convert OpenType fonts to XML and back
52- ``varLib``: Build a variable font from a designspace file and masters
53- ``varLib.instancer``: Partially instantiate a variable font.
54- ``varLib.interpolatable``: Test for interpolatability issues between fonts
55- ``varLib.interpolate_layout``: Interpolate GDEF/GPOS/GSUB tables for a point on a designspace
56- ``varLib.models``: Normalize locations on a given designspace
57- ``varLib.mutator``: Instantiate a variation font
58- ``varLib.varStore``: Optimize a font's GDEF variation store
59
60Libraries
61---------
62
63The main library you will want to access when using fontTools for font
64engineering is likely to be :py:mod:`fontTools.ttLib`, which is the package
65for handling TrueType/OpenType fonts. However, there are many other
66libraries in the fontTools suite:
67
68- :py:mod:`fontTools.afmLib`: Module for reading and writing AFM files
69- :py:mod:`fontTools.agl`: Access to the Adobe Glyph List
70- :py:mod:`fontTools.cffLib`: Read/write tools for Adobe CFF fonts
71- :py:mod:`fontTools.colorLib`: Module for handling colors in CPAL/COLR fonts
72- :py:mod:`fontTools.cu2qu`: Module for cubic to quadratic conversion
73- :py:mod:`fontTools.designspaceLib`: Read and write designspace files
74- :py:mod:`fontTools.encodings`: Support for font-related character encodings
75- :py:mod:`fontTools.feaLib`: Read and read AFDKO feature files
76- :py:mod:`fontTools.fontBuilder`: Construct TTF/OTF fonts from scratch
77- :py:mod:`fontTools.merge`: Tools for merging font files
78- :py:mod:`fontTools.pens`: Various classes for manipulating glyph outlines
79- :py:mod:`fontTools.subset`: OpenType font subsetting and optimization
80- :py:mod:`fontTools.svgLib.path`: Library for drawing SVG paths onto glyphs
81- :py:mod:`fontTools.t1Lib`: Tools for PostScript Type 1 fonts (Python2 only)
82- :py:mod:`fontTools.ttx`: Module for converting between OTF and XML representation
83- :py:mod:`fontTools.ufoLib`: Module for reading and writing UFO files
84- :py:mod:`fontTools.unicodedata`: Convert between Unicode and OpenType script information
85- :py:mod:`fontTools.varLib`: Module for dealing with 'gvar'-style font variations
86- :py:mod:`fontTools.voltLib`: Module for dealing with Visual OpenType Layout Tool (VOLT) files
87
88A selection of sample Python programs using these libaries can be found in the `Snippets directory <https://github.com/fonttools/fonttools/blob/master/Snippets/>`_ of the fontTools repository.
89
90Optional Dependencies
91---------------------
92
93The fontTools package currently has no (required) external dependencies
94besides the modules included in the Python Standard Library.
95However, a few extra dependencies are required to unlock optional features
96in some of the library modules. See the :doc:`optional requirements <./optional>`
97page for more information.
98
99Developer information
100---------------------
101
102Information for developers can be found :doc:`here <./developer>`.
103
104License
105-------
106
107`MIT license <https://github.com/fonttools/fonttools/blob/master/LICENSE>`_.  See the full text of the license for details.
108
109
110Table of Contents
111-----------------
112
113.. toctree::
114   :maxdepth: 2
115   :caption: Library
116
117   afmLib
118   agl
119   cffLib/index
120   colorLib/index
121   cu2qu/index
122   designspaceLib/index
123   encodings/index
124   feaLib/index
125   merge
126   misc/index
127   mtiLib
128   otlLib/index
129   pens/index
130   subset/index
131   svgLib/index
132   t1Lib
133   ttLib/index
134   ttx
135   ufoLib/index
136   unicode
137   unicodedata/index
138   varLib/index
139   voltLib
140
141
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