Which fonts did a designer use in that PDF? The PDF Font Viewer scans every page of a file and lists the fonts it finds. For each font it shows the name, the kind, whether it is embedded, and the subset tag.
It is an inspector, so it never changes your file. It helps printers, designers, and anyone who must check fonts before a file goes out.
Table of Contents
- What the Tool Does
- How to Use It, Step by Step
- How It Works
- A Usage Walkthrough
- How to Read the Table
- Related Tools
- File Handling and Privacy
- Limitations and Assumptions
- FAQs About the PDF Font Viewer
What the Tool Does
The tool reads a PDF in your browser and lists each distinct font in one table. It also fills four summary cards.
- Drop area: reads Drag & drop PDF to list its fonts. You can drop a file or click to upload one.
- Summary cards: First Font Found, Fonts Found, Pages Scanned, and Fonts Embedded.
- Table columns: Font Family Name, Kind, Embedded, Glyph Subset, and Sample Text.
- Load Sample Specimen: fills the screen with demo rows. They are marked sample and are not read from a file.
- Copy Specimen Text: copies the fixed specimen sentence, not data from your PDF.
How to Use It, Step by Step
- Drop a PDF on the drop area, or click it and choose a file.
- Watch the status line. It shows Scanning page 1 of 3... and counts up.
- Wait for the final line, such as Done. Scanned 3 pages of report.pdf and found 2 fonts.
- Read the table and the cards. No extra button is needed.
Before you load a file, the table says Upload a PDF to list its fonts.
How It Works
The tool uses the pdf.js library. For each page it reads the drawing commands and notes every font the page selects. It then asks the library for the details of each font.
Upload PDF→Scan every page→Merge duplicate fonts→Show table
A font used on ten pages appears once. Fonts with the same name, kind, and embedded state are merged. There is no page limit and no row limit.
A Usage Walkthrough
Priya Nair exports a three page report from an office program. She drops the file on the tool and watches the page counter finish.
Say a 3-page report uses two fonts. The cards read Calibri for First Font Found, 2 for Fonts Found, 3 for Pages Scanned, and 1 of 2 for Fonts Embedded. The table lists Calibri as embedded with the subset tag ABCDEF. It lists Helvetica as Not embedded with a subset of None.
Priya now knows the printer must have Helvetica available or the file may print with a substitute. She sends the printer the original source file as well.
How to Read the Table
- Font Family Name: the real font name from the PDF, without the subset tag. A name stored as Times#20New#20Roman reads Times New Roman.
- Kind: Type 3, Composite (Type 0), or Simple (Type 1 or TrueType). The tool works this out from the font data.
- Embedded: a badge that reads Embedded or Not embedded.
- Glyph Subset: the six letter tag before a plus sign in the name, or None.
- Sample Text: the words Aa Bb Cc 123. It uses the PDF's own font when your browser accepts it, and a generic serif otherwise.
A subset tag means the file holds only the characters it uses. Standard fonts such as Helvetica are often not embedded. The Fonts Embedded card counts the embedded ones, as in 1 of 2.
Related Tools
For a plain list of font names, see the PDF Font Extractor tool. To count fonts, try the PDF Font Counter tool.
For other file facts, use the PDF File Information Viewer or the PDF Metadata Viewer. To read the words on the pages, use PDF to Text.
More inspectors are in the PDF tools hub.
File Handling and Privacy
The tool reads your file in your browser. The page says every page is scanned in your browser and nothing is uploaded. The page code contains no request that sends the file anywhere.
The pdf.js library and its helper script load from the cdnjs content network. Only the library is downloaded. The tool keeps no copy of your PDF.
Limitations and Assumptions
- The tool no longer shows the font file format or the text encoding. The library does not expose them reliably.
- The subset tag comes from the font name. A subset font with no tag in its name shows None.
- A PDF with no fonts shows No fonts were found. This PDF may contain only scanned images or vector drawings.
- Large files may take a while, because every page is read.
- Encrypted files show This PDF is encrypted or password protected. Remove the password first, then try again.
- If the library fails to load, a message asks you to check your connection and reload.
FAQs About the PDF Font Viewer
Does the PDF Font Viewer change my file?
No. It only reads the file and shows a table. It has no download button and saves nothing.
Why does Helvetica show as Not embedded?
Standard fonts are often left out of the file on purpose. The viewer is expected to supply them. A printer without that font may substitute another.
What is the Glyph Subset value?
It is the six letter tag before the plus sign in a font name. It means the file holds only some characters of that font.
Are these Sample Text rows from my PDF?
Only the font may be. The words Aa Bb Cc 123 are fixed. Load Sample Specimen rows say sample in their names, with demo data for Playfair Display and Inter.
Does it find fonts on every page?
Yes. The Pages Scanned card shows how many pages the tool read.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No upload request exists in the page code. The file is read in your browser.
This tool runs in your web browser and may not handle every PDF file, font, or browser the same way. Keep a backup of your original file. Reviewed for general accuracy by Prof. Dr. Khalil Mudassar, PhD.