HB-SUBSET(1) User Commands HB-SUBSET(1)
hb-subset - manual page for hb-subset 11.3.3
Usage:
hb-subset [OPTION?] [FONT-FILE] [TEXT]
Subset font to specification.
Help Options:
-h, --help
Show help options
--help-all
Show all help options
--help-face
Options for the font face
--help-subset-glyphset
Subsetting glyph-set options
--help-subset-other
Subsetting other options
--help-subset-flags
Subsetting boolean options
--help-output
Options for the destination & form of the output
Font-face options:
--font-file=filename
Set font file-name
-y, --face-index=index
Set face index (default: 0)
--face-loader=loader
Set face loader to use (default: ot)
Supported face loaders are: ot/ft
--list-face-loaders
List available face loaders and quit
Subset glyph-set option:
-g, --gids=list of glyph indices/ranges or *
Specify glyph IDs or ranges to include in the subset. Use
--gids-=... to subtract codepoints from the current set.
--gids-file=filename
Specify file to read glyph IDs or ranges from
--glyphs=list of glyph names or *
Specify glyph names to include in the subset. Use
--glyphs-=... to subtract glyphs from the current set.
--glyphs-file=filename
Specify file to read glyph names from
-t, --text=string
Specify text to include in the subset. Use --text-=... to
subtract codepoints from the current set.
--text-file=filename
Specify file to read text from
-u, --unicodes=list of hex numbers/ranges or *
Specify Unicode codepoints or ranges to include in the subset.
Use * to include all codepoints. --unicodes-=... can be used
to subtract codepoints from the current set. For example:
--unicodes=* --unicodes-=41,42,43 would create a subset with
all codepoints except for 41, 42, 43.
--unicodes-file=filename
Specify file to read Unicode codepoints or ranges from
Subset other option:
--gid-map=List of pairs old_gid1:new_gid1,old_gid2:new_gid2,...
Specify a glyph mapping to use, any unmapped gids will be
automatically assigned.
--name-IDs=list of int numbers or *
Subset specified nameids. Use --name-IDs-=... to subtract from
the current set.
--name-languages=list of int numbers or *
Subset nameRecords with specified language IDs. Use
--name-languages-=... to subtract from the current set.
--layout-features=list of string table tags or *
Specify set of layout feature tags that will be preserved. Use
--layout-features-=... to subtract from the current set.
--layout-scripts=list of string table tags or *
Specify set of layout script tags that will be preserved. Use
--layout-scripts-=... to subtract from the current set.
--drop-tables=list of string table tags or *
Drop the specified tables. Use --drop-tables-=... to subtract
from the current set.
--variations=list of comma separated axis-locations.
(Partially|Fully) Instantiate a variable font. A location
consists of the tag of a variation axis, followed by '=',
followed by a number or the literal string 'drop'. For
example: --variations="wdth=100 wght=200" or
--variations="wdth=drop"
Subset boolean option:
--keep-everything
Keep everything by default. Options after this can override
the operation.
--no-hinting
Whether to drop hints
--retain-gids
If set don't renumber glyph ids in the subset.
--desubroutinize
Remove CFF/CFF2 use of subroutines
--name-legacy
Keep legacy (non-Unicode) 'name' table entries
--set-overlaps-flag
Set the overlaps flag on each glyph.
--notdef-outline
Keep the outline of '.notdef' glyph
--no-prune-unicode-ranges
Don't change the 'OS/2 ulUnicodeRange*' bits.
--no-layout-closure
Don't perform glyph closure for layout substitution (GSUB).
--no-bidi-closure
Don't perform bidi closure (adding mirrored variants) for
input codepoints.
--glyph-names
Keep PS glyph names in TT-flavored fonts.
--passthrough-tables
Do not drop tables that the tool does not know how to subset.
--preprocess
If set preprocesses the face with the add accelerator option
before actually subsetting.
--optimize
Perform IUP delta optimization on the resulting gvar table's
deltas
Output destination & format options:
-o, --output-file=filename
Set output file-name (default: stdout)
Application Options:
--version
Show version numbers
-n, --num-iterations=N
Run subsetter N times (default: 1)
Subsets font file to a specified set of glyphs, Unicode codepoints,
or text, design-space limiting, and other reductions.
0: Success.
1: Option parsing failed.
2: Failed loading font face.
HB_FACE_LOADER=face-loader; Overrides the default face loader.
hb-view(1), hb-shape(1), hb-subset(1), hb-info(1)
Find more information or report bugs at
<https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz>
HarfBuzz 11.3.3 July 2025 HB-SUBSET(1)
NAME
hb-subset - manual page for hb-subset 11.3.3
DESCRIPTION
Usage:
hb-subset [OPTION?] [FONT-FILE] [TEXT]
Subset font to specification.
Help Options:
-h, --help
Show help options
--help-all
Show all help options
--help-face
Options for the font face
--help-subset-glyphset
Subsetting glyph-set options
--help-subset-other
Subsetting other options
--help-subset-flags
Subsetting boolean options
--help-output
Options for the destination & form of the output
Font-face options:
--font-file=filename
Set font file-name
-y, --face-index=index
Set face index (default: 0)
--face-loader=loader
Set face loader to use (default: ot)
Supported face loaders are: ot/ft
--list-face-loaders
List available face loaders and quit
Subset glyph-set option:
-g, --gids=list of glyph indices/ranges or *
Specify glyph IDs or ranges to include in the subset. Use
--gids-=... to subtract codepoints from the current set.
--gids-file=filename
Specify file to read glyph IDs or ranges from
--glyphs=list of glyph names or *
Specify glyph names to include in the subset. Use
--glyphs-=... to subtract glyphs from the current set.
--glyphs-file=filename
Specify file to read glyph names from
-t, --text=string
Specify text to include in the subset. Use --text-=... to
subtract codepoints from the current set.
--text-file=filename
Specify file to read text from
-u, --unicodes=list of hex numbers/ranges or *
Specify Unicode codepoints or ranges to include in the subset.
Use * to include all codepoints. --unicodes-=... can be used
to subtract codepoints from the current set. For example:
--unicodes=* --unicodes-=41,42,43 would create a subset with
all codepoints except for 41, 42, 43.
--unicodes-file=filename
Specify file to read Unicode codepoints or ranges from
Subset other option:
--gid-map=List of pairs old_gid1:new_gid1,old_gid2:new_gid2,...
Specify a glyph mapping to use, any unmapped gids will be
automatically assigned.
--name-IDs=list of int numbers or *
Subset specified nameids. Use --name-IDs-=... to subtract from
the current set.
--name-languages=list of int numbers or *
Subset nameRecords with specified language IDs. Use
--name-languages-=... to subtract from the current set.
--layout-features=list of string table tags or *
Specify set of layout feature tags that will be preserved. Use
--layout-features-=... to subtract from the current set.
--layout-scripts=list of string table tags or *
Specify set of layout script tags that will be preserved. Use
--layout-scripts-=... to subtract from the current set.
--drop-tables=list of string table tags or *
Drop the specified tables. Use --drop-tables-=... to subtract
from the current set.
--variations=list of comma separated axis-locations.
(Partially|Fully) Instantiate a variable font. A location
consists of the tag of a variation axis, followed by '=',
followed by a number or the literal string 'drop'. For
example: --variations="wdth=100 wght=200" or
--variations="wdth=drop"
Subset boolean option:
--keep-everything
Keep everything by default. Options after this can override
the operation.
--no-hinting
Whether to drop hints
--retain-gids
If set don't renumber glyph ids in the subset.
--desubroutinize
Remove CFF/CFF2 use of subroutines
--name-legacy
Keep legacy (non-Unicode) 'name' table entries
--set-overlaps-flag
Set the overlaps flag on each glyph.
--notdef-outline
Keep the outline of '.notdef' glyph
--no-prune-unicode-ranges
Don't change the 'OS/2 ulUnicodeRange*' bits.
--no-layout-closure
Don't perform glyph closure for layout substitution (GSUB).
--no-bidi-closure
Don't perform bidi closure (adding mirrored variants) for
input codepoints.
--glyph-names
Keep PS glyph names in TT-flavored fonts.
--passthrough-tables
Do not drop tables that the tool does not know how to subset.
--preprocess
If set preprocesses the face with the add accelerator option
before actually subsetting.
--optimize
Perform IUP delta optimization on the resulting gvar table's
deltas
Output destination & format options:
-o, --output-file=filename
Set output file-name (default: stdout)
Application Options:
--version
Show version numbers
-n, --num-iterations=N
Run subsetter N times (default: 1)
Subsets font file to a specified set of glyphs, Unicode codepoints,
or text, design-space limiting, and other reductions.
EXIT CODES
0: Success.
1: Option parsing failed.
2: Failed loading font face.
ENVIRONMENT
HB_FACE_LOADER=face-loader; Overrides the default face loader.
SEE ALSO
hb-view(1), hb-shape(1), hb-subset(1), hb-info(1)
Find more information or report bugs at
<https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz>
HarfBuzz 11.3.3 July 2025 HB-SUBSET(1)