How to Edit Font Metadata Online
- Most browser-based font tools — including this one — are read-only viewers. They show the embedded metadata but can't write changes back to the file.
- Editing font metadata requires a desktop tool: fonttools (Python, free) or FontForge (GUI, free) are the two most common options.
- This guide shows exactly which fields you can change and the commands or steps to do it.
Table of Contents
The most common reason someone wants to edit font metadata: they received a font with an incorrect family name that's causing issues in a design application, or they need to update the version string, or they want to add a license URL that the original author didn't include.
The honest answer: the WildandFree Font Metadata Viewer is a read-only tool. It reads and displays the embedded metadata but doesn't write changes back to the file. For editing, you need a desktop tool — and this guide covers the two best free options.
Step 1: View the Current Metadata Before Editing
Before editing font metadata, it's worth reading what's currently there. Drop your font file into the metadata viewer to see:
- Family name and sub-family (style) — what design applications and operating systems display
- Version string — the current version number
- License text and URL — what's already embedded
- Designer and copyright — attribution fields
- fsType — the embedding permission flags
Knowing what's currently in the file helps you understand exactly what needs to change before opening an editor.
Editing Font Metadata with fonttools
fonttools is the standard free tool for font metadata editing. Install it with Python:
pip install fonttools
Then write a short script to modify specific name table entries:
from fontTools.ttLib import TTFont
font = TTFont('input.ttf')
name = font['name']
# nameID reference:
# 0 = copyright, 1 = family name, 2 = sub-family
# 4 = full name, 5 = version, 9 = designer
# 13 = license text, 14 = license URL
# Update family name (nameID 1)
name.setName('My Updated Family', 1, 3, 1, 0x0409)
# Update version (nameID 5)
name.setName('Version 2.000', 5, 3, 1, 0x0409)
# Add license URL (nameID 14)
name.setName('https://scripts.sil.org/OFL', 14, 3, 1, 0x0409)
font.save('output.ttf')
The setName parameters after the value are: nameID, platformID (3=Windows), platEncID (1=Unicode BMP), langID (0x0409=English US). These are the standard values for names that should be visible across all platforms.
Updating the fsType Embedding Flag
The fsType flag lives in the OS/2 table, not the name table. Changing it is a separate operation:
from fontTools.ttLib import TTFont
font = TTFont('input.ttf')
# Set to 0 (Installable — no embedding restrictions)
font['OS/2'].fsType = 0
font.save('output.ttf')
Common values: 0 (Installable), 2 (Restricted), 4 (Print and Preview), 8 (Editable).
Important: only change fsType on fonts you own or have explicit permission to modify. Changing the embedding flag on a commercially licensed font to bypass restrictions is a licensing violation — the flag reflects the legal terms, not just a technical setting.
Editing Font Metadata with FontForge
FontForge is a free, open-source font editor with a graphical interface. It's available on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
To edit metadata in FontForge:
- Open your font file: File → Open
- Go to Element → Font Info
- The "PS Names" tab covers the name table fields: family, full name, version, copyright
- The "TTF Names" tab covers the extended name table: designer, license, license URL
- Make your changes and close the dialog
- Export: File → Generate Fonts — choose your output format (TTF, OTF, WOFF)
FontForge is more powerful than fonttools for glyph editing, but for metadata-only changes, fonttools is faster and doesn't require a full GUI application.
Verifying Your Changes with the Metadata Viewer
After saving the edited font, drop it back into the metadata viewer to confirm the changes wrote correctly. It's common to miss a platform/encoding combination in the name table, which means the change appears on one OS but not another.
Specifically check:
- Family name displays your updated value
- Version string shows the new version
- License URL appears if you added one
- fsType shows the correct numeric value
View Your Font Metadata Before Editing
Drop a TTF, OTF, or WOFF to see exactly what's currently embedded — family name, version, license, fsType — before making any changes.
Open Font Metadata ViewerFrequently Asked Questions
Can I edit font metadata in a browser without installing Python?
The browser-based metadata viewer is read-only — it shows metadata but can't save edits. Editing requires a desktop tool. FontForge is the no-Python option (GUI application). fonttools requires Python but no GUI.
Is it legal to edit the metadata of a font?
It depends on the license. OFL-licensed fonts explicitly permit modification including metadata changes (the modified font must use a different name). Most proprietary fonts prohibit modification. Check the embedded license before editing.
What nameID number is the font family name?
nameID 1 is the legacy family name (the one design applications use for font menu grouping). nameID 16 is the preferred/typographic family name used by OpenType-aware applications. For broad compatibility, set both.
