FILE FORMAT GUIDE
TrueType Font (.TTF): Tables & Safe Inspection
An SFNT-based font commonly using TrueType glyph outlines. Its table directory can include glyph, metrics, naming and layout data.
Check supported header evidence locally. Identification is not file validation or a malware scan.
Analyze a file locallyQuick facts
- Extension
- .ttf
- Format
- TrueType Font
- Category
- font
- MIME type
- font/ttf
- Standard / developer
- Microsoft and ISO/IEC Open Font Format contributors
- Open with
- fontTools TTFont
What is TTF?
A TTF is structured as an offset table and tagged tables; the 00010000 scaler type is the common TrueType signature. A valid header does not establish font licensing or safe installability.
- Store a table-based font for use by supporting font systems
How to open TTF
Inspect tables without installing the font. Loading untrusted files into any parser remains separate from deciding whether the font is safe or licensed for use.
fontTools TTFontPython library
Open the file with TTFont("font.ttf", lazy=True), inspect keys or selected tables, and close it. Do not call save when the task is read-only. WOFF2 support may require optional dependencies.
Technical details
- Signature
- 00 01 00 00
- Encoding
- Not applicable
- Container
- SFNT table container
- Compression
- Table data is not inherently compressed
Things to check
- Parsing a font does not grant permission to install, modify or redistribute it.
Related formats
- OpenType CFF Font
This TTF record covers TrueType outlines, while the related OTF record covers OpenType fonts using CFF outlines.
- Web Open Font Format 2
WOFF2 is compressed packaging for web-font delivery and can originate from TrueType-flavored OpenType data.
Sources & review
Fact review: 2026-09-19. Unknown fields are not inferred from the file extension.