fontprofiler

Fontprofiler is a software utility that analyzes fonts used in digital documents, designs, and webpages. It aims to help designers, developers, and publishers understand which fonts are in use, how they are activated, and what opportunities exist to optimize typographic performance and file size.

Key features include inventory of font families, styles, and formats; analysis of glyph usage and character sets; measurement of font metrics such as units per em, ascent, descent, cap height, and x-height; examination of kerning pairs, ligatures, and hinting; detection of font-face declarations, embedded vs. system fonts; and recommendations for subsetting or subset generation (removing unused glyphs).

In web contexts, fontprofiler can assess load timing, render performance, and potential layout shifts caused by font loading. It can simulate font-display strategies and suggest preload or early font loading to reduce FOUT or FOIT. In print and design pipelines, it aids in choosing appropriate fonts and ensuring consistent metrics across sizes.

Output typically includes reports, JSON or CSV data dumps, visualizations of glyph usage, and suggested font subsets or CSS changes. Advanced editions may integrate with design tooling or build systems to automate subsetting and font delivery optimizations.

Fontprofiler is used by font designers, typesetting professionals, web developers, and researchers to optimize typography, control file sizes, and improve readability. While useful, users should consider privacy implications when profiling fonts in client environments.