fc-scan

fc-scan [options] [font-files...]

--help
    Display usage information and exit

--version
    Print version information and exit

--format FORMAT
    Specify output format (e.g., xml, txt, csv)

--index
    Output only font index numbers

--face INDEX
    Scan specific face index in font

--fontfile
    Print font file path

--pattern
    Print font pattern

--weight
    Print weight value

--slant
    Print slant value

--spacing
    Print spacing value

--foundry
    Print foundry name

--family
    Print family name

--style
    Print style name

--fullname
    Print full name

--lang LANG
    Use language for name comparisons

--color
    Include color glyph information

--validate
    Validate font files

--error-on-no-fonts
    Exit with error if no fonts found

--quiet
    Suppress non-error messages

-v, --verbose
    Increase verbosity

The fc-scan command is a utility from the fontconfig library used to scan font files or directories and extract detailed properties such as family, style, weight, slant, spacing, and more. It outputs this information in various formats, primarily XML by default, which is useful for generating font caches with fc-cache. Standalone, it helps query font metrics, validate files, or list characteristics for scripting and debugging font configurations.

Fontconfig is a library for configuring and managing fonts on Linux/Unix systems, matching logical font names to physical files. fc-scan processes TrueType, OpenType, and other formats, supporting color fonts and complex scripts. It's lightweight, non-interactive, and integrates with desktop environments for font discovery. Common use cases include batch-processing font directories, verifying installations, or feeding data into custom tools. Output can be filtered by face index, language, or specific attributes, making it versatile for font management tasks.

Requires fontconfig package; scans only accessible files; XML output may be verbose for large directories; no graphical preview.

Without --format, outputs XML suitable for fc-cache generation.
Example: fc-scan /usr/share/fonts/arial.ttf

Supported: xml (default), txt, csv, hash. List with --list.

Part of fontconfig project started in 2000 by Keith Packard (XFree86); fc-scan introduced early for cache building, evolved with OpenType/CFF support in versions 2.4+ (2006), color fonts in 2.13 (2017). Widely used in GNOME/KDE.

fc-list(1), fc-match(1), fc-cache(1), fc-cat(1)