Supported Font Types
Supported fonts
GraFx Fonts supports OTF and TTF.
- Open Type Fonts (OTF)
- True Type Fonts (TTF)
These fonts are NOT Supported
Except OTF or TTF, other font files are not supported.
Some font types have similar names, we added them below as NOT supported to avoid confusion.
- Web Open Font Format (WOFF & WOFF2)
- Variable Fonts a.k.a. OpenType Font Variations
- Postscript Type 1
- EOT (Embedded Open Type)
- SVG Fonts
- ...
Font-table support in CHILI GraFx
GraFx Fonts stores your TrueType (.ttf) and OpenType (.otf) files and delivers them to GraFx Studio.
Whether every typographic feature actually shows up in the editor, however, depends on the OpenType tables that the GraFx Studio engine already understands.
Example: Ligatures
Think of each table as a plug-in that unlocks extra behaviour.
For example, the GSUB table can contain a ligature rule that turns the letter sequence “f” + “i” into the single “fi” glyph.
If GraFx Studio supports the relevant GSUB sub-table, the ligature will appear; if not, the two separate letters render instead (the text still prints—just without the fancy substitution).
In short
If your font is OpenType/TrueType and the tables required for your language or feature are listed with a ✅, GraFx Studio will display the full typographic behaviour.
How to read the table
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Table tag | The four-letter OpenType table identifier (linked to the Microsoft spec). |
| Sub-table / Format | Some tables contain different “lookup” formats. Only the formats listed here are evaluated. |
| Description | What the table/format is used for. |
| Supported | ✅ = implemented & fully functional 🚫 = not yet implemented (font still loads; feature is ignored). |
If a row shows no entry in the Sub-table column, the whole table is evaluated as a single unit.
Supported tables (and those still in progress)
| Table tag | Sub-table / Format | Description | Supported |
|---|---|---|---|
avar |
Axis Variations Table | 🚫 | |
BASE |
Baseline Table | 🚫 | |
CBDT |
Color Bitmap Data | 🚫 | |
CBLC |
Color Bitmap Location | 🚫 | |
CFF |
Compact Font Format (v1) | ✅ | |
CFF2 |
Compact Font Format (v2) | 🚫 | |
cmap |
0 Unicode | Character → Glyph mapping | ✅ |
| 1 Macintosh | ✅ | ||
| 2 ISO (deprecated) | 🚫 | ||
| 3 Windows | ✅ | ||
| 4 Custom (NT compat.) | 🚫 | ||
COLR |
Colour Layers | 🚫 | |
CPAL |
Colour Palettes | 🚫 | |
cvar |
CVT Variations | 🚫 | |
cvt |
Control Value Table | 🚫 | |
DSIG |
Digital Signature | 🚫 | |
EBDT |
Embedded Bitmap Data | 🚫 | |
EBLC |
Embedded Bitmap Location | 🚫 | |
EBSC |
Embedded Bitmap Scaling | 🚫 | |
fpgm |
Font Program | 🚫 | |
fvar |
Font Variations (axes) | 🚫 | |
gasp |
Grid-fitting & Scan-conv. | 🚫 | |
GDEF |
Glyph Definition | ✅ | |
glyf |
Glyph outlines (TrueType) | ✅ | |
GPOS |
1 Single adjust | Position a single glyph | ✅ |
| 2 Pair adjust | Kerning pairs | ✅ | |
| 3 Cursive | Cursive attachment | ✅ | |
| 4 Mark-to-Base | ✅ | ||
| 5 Mark-to-Ligature | ✅ | ||
| 6 Mark-to-Mark | ✅ | ||
| 7 Contextual pos. | 🚫 | ||
| 8 Chained context pos. | 🚫 | ||
| 9 Extension pos. | 🚫 | ||
GSUB |
1 Single | One-to-one substitution | ✅ |
| 2 Multiple | One-to-many substitution | ✅ | |
| 3 Alternate | One-to-many alternate | 🚫 | |
| 4 Ligature | Many-to-one ligature | ✅ | |
| 5 Contextual | 🚫 | ||
| 6 Chained contexts | see sub-formats | ||
| 6.1 Simple | 🚫 | ||
| 6.2 Class based | ✅ | ||
| 6.3 Coverage | ✅ | ||
| 7 Extension sub. | 🚫 | ||
| 8 Reverse chaining | 🚫 | ||
gvar |
Glyph Variations | 🚫 | |
hdmx |
Horizontal Device Metrics | 🚫 | |
head |
Font Header | ✅ | |
hhea |
Horizontal Header | ✅ | |
hmtx |
Horizontal Metrics | ✅ | |
HVAR |
Horizontal Metrics Variations | 🚫 | |
JSTF |
Justification | 🚫 | |
kern |
Format 0 | Classic kern table | ✅ |
| Format 2 | State-table kern | 🚫 | |
loca |
Index to Location | ✅ | |
LTSH |
Linear Threshold | 🚫 | |
MATH |
Math Typesetting | 🚫 | |
maxp |
Maximum Profile | 🚫 | |
MERG |
Merge Table | 🚫 | |
meta |
Metadata | 🚫 | |
MVAR |
Metrics Variations | 🚫 | |
name |
Naming Table | ✅ | |
OS/2 |
OS/2 & Windows Metrics | ✅ | |
PCLT |
PCL 5 data | 🚫 | |
post |
PostScript info | ✅ | |
prep |
Control Value Programme | 🚫 | |
sbix |
Standard Bitmap Graphics | 🚫 | |
STAT |
Style Attributes | 🚫 | |
SVG |
Embedded SVG glyphs | 🚫 | |
VDMX |
Vertical Device Metrics | 🚫 | |
vhea |
Vertical Header | 🚫 | |
vmtx |
Vertical Metrics | 🚫 | |
VORG |
Vertical Origin | 🚫 | |
VVAR |
Vertical Metrics Variations | 🚫 |
Need a table that isn’t supported yet?
Let us know via the regular GraFx Support feedback channels so we can put it on the feature request list.
Frequently-asked questions
“My font loads but kerning is wrong”
Check whether the font relies on:
- GPOS 7/8 (contextual positioning) not yet implemented, or
- kern format 2 also unsupported.
Replacing the font with an updated OpenType that uses GPOS 1/2 pair-kerning usually solves the issue.
“Can I use color fonts?”
COLR / CPAL tables (plus SVG, sbix, CBDT/CBLC) are not supported at this moment.
Colour glyphs will fall back to the primary outline data.
“Will variable fonts work?”
Variation-axis tables (fvar, gvar, HVAR, MVAR, VVAR, avar, cvar) are still in progress.
Variable fonts load, but only their default instance is rendered.
Helpful references
- Microsoft OpenType spec hub
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/ - Chapter 2 “Structure of OpenType fonts”
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/chapter2 - Common variable-font formats
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/otvarcommonformats
For an interactive check you can also upload any font to https://fontdrop.info/ to inspect which tables it contains.