Every font file carries a block of human-readable metadata called the OpenType name table. It records the family and style names, a version string, copyright and trademark notices, the manufacturer and designer, and — crucially for anyone licensing fonts — a licence description and licence URL. This tool reads that table from a .ttf, .otf, or .woff file you choose and lays out every entry so you can confirm exactly what you have.
How it works
The parser opens the font’s binary directly. For SFNT files (TTF/OTF) the first 12 bytes are the offset table, listing how many tables the font contains and where each lives. The tool scans that directory for the name tag.
The name table itself begins with a format selector, a record count, and a string-storage offset. Each name record carries a platform ID, encoding ID, language ID, name ID, plus a length and offset into the string area. The tool reads each string with the correct encoding — UTF-16 big-endian for the Windows platform (platform 3) and ASCII/Mac-Roman for the Macintosh platform (platform 1) — and maps the name IDs to labels:
0 Copyright 1 Family
2 Subfamily 3 Unique ID
4 Full name 5 Version
6 PostScript name 7 Trademark
8 Manufacturer 9 Designer
13 Licence 14 Licence URLWhat you can learn from the name table
Verifying the font you actually have. If you downloaded a font from a font aggregator rather than the original foundry, the name table is the quickest way to check whether you received the genuine file. The PostScript name (name ID 6) and the unique ID (name ID 3) together identify the exact build and version. If the copyright field names an unfamiliar entity, the file may be an unofficial redistribution.
Checking the licence before commercial use. Name ID 13 holds a licence-description string that some foundries populate with the full OFL, proprietary licence text, or a summary of usage rights. Name ID 14 holds a URL pointing to the licence. These fields are your first stop when you need to confirm whether a downloaded or bundled font permits use in a client project, a product, or embedded in a PDF.
Understanding version strings. Name ID 5 (the version string) typically follows the pattern Version 1.234 or Version 1.234;hotconv 1.0.109. Different versions of the same family can have subtly different metrics, kerning tables, or glyph outlines — important to know if you are trying to match the exact rendering from a design file.
Diagnosing font conflicts. When two fonts with different names render the same glyph differently in a multi-font document, checking the PostScript name and family fields helps identify which physical file each style name resolves to. Duplicate PostScript names across two files are a common cause of unexpected font substitution on print or export.
Common reasons fields are empty
Font vendors are not required to fill every name ID. The following omissions are common:
- Licence URL empty — many foundry fonts include the licence text in name ID 13 but omit a URL. An absent URL does not mean the font is free; read the licence text or the foundry’s website.
- Designer empty — free and open-source fonts sometimes omit the designer field, even for well-known typefaces. Check the project’s GitHub or Google Fonts page for attribution.
- Trademark empty — only required when the family name is a registered trademark. Many display and utility fonts skip this.
Notes and tips
- WOFF files store the same SFNT tables behind a 44-byte WOFF header, which this tool reads. WOFF2 compresses its tables with Brotli, so convert WOFF2 → TTF first if you need its metadata.
- When several records share a name ID, the tool prefers the Windows English (language 0x409) entry, falling back to the first one found.
- A missing licence URL does not mean a font is free — always read the licence text or the foundry’s terms before commercial use.
- Nothing you load is uploaded — the binary is parsed entirely in your browser.