How to Check Font Metadata, Glyph Count, and License — Free, No Software
- Upload any TTF, OTF, or WOFF to read embedded metadata instantly
- See designer name, license string, version, and glyph count
- Check which Unicode character sets the font supports
- Free — no fonttools, no CLI, no Python required
Table of Contents
Every font file contains embedded metadata: the font's official family name, the designer or foundry, a license summary, the version number, total glyph count, and a map of which Unicode character sets are supported. Reading this data normally requires a font editor or command-line tools. With this free Font Previewer, you upload the file and see all of it in seconds — no software, no terminal, no account.
What Font Metadata Contains — and Why It Matters
Font files (TTF, OTF, WOFF) store structured metadata in internal "name tables" and OS/2 tables. The main fields and what they tell you:
- Font family name — the official name the font registers under in software menus. This is what appears in Illustrator, Word, and CSS font-family declarations. Useful when you have a renamed font file and need to know what name to use in code.
- Subfamily / style — Regular, Bold, Italic, etc. Important when you have multiple font files from the same family and need to know which is which.
- Version string — identifies the release version of the font. Useful when comparing an old font file against a newer release to confirm you have the current version.
- Designer / foundry name — who created the font. Essential for proper attribution and for finding the original license terms on the foundry's website.
- License string — a summary of the font's usage rights, embedded directly in the file. The most important field for anyone using fonts in commercial work.
- Glyph count — total number of characters in the font. More glyphs generally means broader language support.
- Unicode ranges — which Unicode blocks the font supports (Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Arabic, CJK, etc.).
How to Read a Font's License From the File Itself
Many font files embed a license summary directly in the file's name table. When you upload a font to the previewer, the metadata panel shows this string if it exists.
Common license strings and what they mean:
- "This Font Software is licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1" — free for personal and commercial use, including in products you sell. Can be bundled with software and embedded in documents. The standard for Google Fonts.
- "Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0" — similar to OFL. Free for commercial use.
- "This font is free for personal use. For commercial use, please visit..." — common on DaFont. Requires a paid license for commercial projects.
- Custom license text with a foundry name — read the full license document included in the font ZIP, or visit the foundry's website for terms.
- Empty / no license string — the metadata field is blank. Check the font's original source page. Treat as personal-use-only until verified otherwise.
Using Glyph Count to Assess Font Coverage
The glyph count tells you how many characters the font contains — but the raw number only makes sense in context:
| Glyph Count | Typical Coverage |
|---|---|
| 100-300 | Basic Latin only — A-Z, a-z, 0-9, common punctuation |
| 300-500 | Latin Extended — adds accented characters for Western European languages |
| 500-1000 | May include Greek, Cyrillic, or additional symbol sets |
| 1000-3000 | Broad multilingual support or large symbol set |
| 3000+ | CJK (Chinese/Japanese/Korean) support, or variable font |
The Unicode ranges field tells you specifically which blocks are covered, so you don't have to infer from glyph count alone. If your content uses accented characters (é, ñ, ü) and the font only covers Basic Latin, those characters will fall back to a system font when this font is deployed on a website.
Using Unicode Range Data for Web Font CSS
When self-hosting a font on a website, the CSS unicode-range descriptor lets you tell the browser which characters this font file covers. This prevents the browser from downloading the font file for pages that don't use those characters.
The Unicode ranges shown in the metadata panel map directly to the unicode-range values in CSS font-face declarations. For example, if the metadata shows "Latin" coverage, your CSS might include unicode-range: U+0000-00FF (Basic Latin and Latin Extended blocks).
For web developers building sites with multiple language versions, knowing each font file's Unicode range coverage is essential for setting up proper fallback chains. The metadata panel makes this information visible without opening a hex editor or running fonttools from the command line.
For reducing font file size by removing character sets you don't need, the Font Subsetter creates a smaller file while preserving the Unicode ranges you actually use.
When Font Metadata Is Missing or Incorrect
Not all font files have complete or accurate metadata. Common situations:
No license string: The file has blank license fields. This is common with fonts distributed informally or ripped from software. Always go back to the original source for license terms — don't assume unlicensed means free.
Wrong family name: Some font files are renamed by third-party distributors, and the internal name doesn't match the filename. The internal name (shown in metadata) is what CSS and design software will register the font under — a mismatch can cause unexpected behavior when deploying.
Glyph count mismatches between fonts in the same family: Bold and Regular weights from the same family should have similar glyph counts. A large discrepancy may indicate that one file is an older version or a different cut of the typeface than it appears.
For deep technical inspection of font metadata, the Font Metadata Viewer surfaces additional detail beyond the previewer's metadata panel.
Check Any Font's Metadata and License — Free, Instant
Upload a TTF, OTF, or WOFF file. Read the designer, license, glyph count, and Unicode ranges in seconds — no software, no account.
Open Font Previewer FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How do I find the original font license if the metadata is blank?
Search for the font name on the foundry's website or on the platform where you originally downloaded it. If you found it on DaFont, the font's individual page shows the license type in a colored badge (Free, Personal Use, etc.) and links to a license text file. For Google Fonts, all fonts are OFL or Apache — fully commercial.
Can I trust the license string embedded in a font file?
Generally yes, if the font came from a reputable source (Google Fonts, Font Squirrel, the foundry directly). For fonts from informal sources or third-party aggregators, the metadata might be incomplete or removed. Always verify with the original source if commercial use is involved.
Why does my font show a different name in CSS than in the file manager?
The filename and the internal font-family name don't have to match. The metadata panel shows the internal name — that's what you should use in your CSS font-family property and in design software font menus. If the internal name has spaces, wrap it in quotes in CSS: font-family: "Font Name", sans-serif.
Can I check metadata for fonts I already have installed on my computer?
Yes. Find the font file on your system (C:\Windows\Fonts\ on Windows; /Library/Fonts/ or ~/Library/Fonts/ on Mac; ~/.local/share/fonts/ or /usr/share/fonts/ on Linux) and upload it the same way as any other font file.
