2] Ghostscript
Ghostscript is free and open-source software that can interpret and process PostScript and PDF files. Ghostscript can also extract fonts from PDF files by using a special utility program called extractFonts.ps, which is written in the PostScript language. Here’s how to use Ghostscript:
- Download and install Ghostscript on our computer.
- Download the extractFonts.ps file from the Ghostscript source code repository.
- Save the extractFonts.ps file in the same folder as the PDF file we want to extract the fonts from.
- Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and go to that folder.
- Run the following command, replacing “file.pdf” with the name of our PDF file:
gswin64c -q -dNODISPLAY -dNOBIND -dWRITESYSTEMDICT -dSIMPLE -c save -f extractFonts.ps file.pdf quit.ps
- Wait for the extraction process to complete – all extracted fonts will be saved in the same folder as the PDF file, with the same name as the font name.
Ghostscript can extract all types of fonts, including TrueType, OpenType, Type 1, and CID fonts.
Conclusion
Fonts embedded in PDF files can be extracted using several tools and methods, both online and offline. Online tools are an easy and fast option, but require an internet connection and uploading PDF files to a third-party server. Offline tools are a more flexible and secure option but require software installation on your computer.
By extracting fonts from PDF files, we can use those fonts for our own graphic design or typography purposes. However, we must be careful and respect the copyright and license of the font maker. Do not use extracted fonts for commercial purposes without permission from the owner. Always check the source and terms of use of the font before using it.