# Install ttfautohint with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix Auto-hinter for TrueType fonts. Version 1.8.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:ttfautohint ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install ttfautohint ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install ttfautohint ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: graphics/ttfautohint/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add ttfautohint ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ttfautohint from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libttfautohint-dev ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libttfautohint-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install ttfautohint ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ttfautohint from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#ttfautohint ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/tt/ttfautohint/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:ttfautohint - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.8.4 - **Source summary:** Auto-hinter for TrueType fonts - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** FTL OR GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - ttfautohint (cli) - ttfautohint (alias) ## Dependencies - freetype - harfbuzz - libpng ## Build dependencies - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.8.4 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage ttfautohint is Werner Lemberg's FreeType-based TrueType auto-hinting library and command-line program, aimed especially at producing practical hinting for web fonts and other TrueType fonts without the cost of full manual hinting. In package-manager culture it sits in the font-build-tool niche: a small, scriptable binary that turns font rendering quality, particularly on non-FreeType platforms, into a reproducible build step. ### Project history The official project page says the project started in 2010 after Dave Crossland suggested the idea, with Werner Lemberg able to begin development through financial support from the Google Web Fonts team. The project grew around FreeType's auto-hinting system, exposing it as libttfautohint plus the `ttfautohint` CLI and a GUI. The project reached version 1.0 on 22 March 2014, after release-candidate work focused on memory management, symbol fonts, and improved GDI ClearType hinting. Later releases expanded script support and tuning controls, including Devanagari in 1.1, low-level fine-tuning in 1.2, many Indic and other scripts in 1.5 and 1.6, and a library install path in 1.8.1. The 1.8.4 release in August 2021 added support for Hanifi Rohingya, Nyiakeng Puachue Hmong, Medefaidrin, and Yezidi. The official page identifies 1.8.4 as the current version and points development at a public repo.or.cz git repository. ### Adoption history The project page frames ttfautohint as useful to type designers who need a first pass of TrueType hinting that can later be refined by hand. It also documents visual samples and font-family examples used to compare original hinting with ttfautohint output. The supplied package facts show the tool packaged across Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, Alpine, MacPorts, and Nix, which matches its role as a build-time CLI dependency for font maintainers rather than a general end-user application. ### How it is used The manual describes a C library that takes a TrueType font, removes existing bytecode instructions if present, and returns a new font whose glyphs are bytecode hinted using FreeType auto-hinting information. The distribution bundles both the CLI `ttfautohint` and `ttfautohintGUI`. Typical package-nerd usage is to install the command with a package manager and run it as part of a font release pipeline, preserving the same hinting behavior across build hosts. The official page also notes dependencies on FreeType and HarfBuzz for building from source. ### Why package nerds care ttfautohint matters to package maintainers because fonts are often distributed as generated artifacts, and hinting can change the perceived quality of the output without changing the font's design. Having a packaged CLI keeps that step auditable and repeatable. It is also a bridge package: it connects FreeType internals, HarfBuzz-era font tooling, GUI font editors, and web-font distribution into one command that package recipes can call. ### Timeline - 2010: Project started after Dave Crossland suggested the idea, with support from Google Web Fonts. - 2014: Version 1.0 released with improved GDI ClearType hinting. - 2016: Version 1.6 added reference-file blue zones and many new script supports. - 2018: Version 1.8.1 added natural stem mode, manual stem overrides, and library installation. - 2021: Version 1.8.4 released with additional script support. ### Related projects - FreeType provides the auto-hinting system that ttfautohint builds on. - HarfBuzz is listed by the official download notes as a build prerequisite. - FontForge, ttx, Visual TrueType, and FontLab appear in the official discussion as adjacent tools for inspecting, editing, or refining font hints. ### Sources - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** ttfautohint - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libttfautohint-dev - 1.8.4-2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libttfautohint-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Automatic font hinter - development files | https://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - Debian apt - libttfautohint1t64 - 1.8.4-2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libttfautohint1t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Automatic font hinter - library | https://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - Debian apt - ttfautohint - 1.8.4-2+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: ttfautohint from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Automatic font hinter | https://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - Nix - ttfautohint: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/tt/ttfautohint/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libttfautohint-dev - 1.8.4-1.1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libttfautohint-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Automatic font hinter - development files | https://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - Ubuntu apt - libttfautohint1t64 - 1.8.4-1.1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libttfautohint1t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Automatic font hinter - library | https://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - Ubuntu apt - ttfautohint - 1.8.4-1.1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ttfautohint from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Automatic font hinter | https://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - apk - ttfautohint - 1.8.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ttfautohint from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Automated hinting utility for TrueType fonts | https://freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - apk - ttfautohint-dev - 1.8.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ttfautohint-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Automated hinting utility for TrueType fonts (development files) | https://freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - apk - ttfautohint-doc - 1.8.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ttfautohint-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Automated hinting utility for TrueType fonts (documentation) | https://freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - apk - ttfautohint-gui - 1.8.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ttfautohint-gui from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Automated hinting utility for TrueType fonts (Qt GUI) | https://freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - apk - ttfautohint-libs - 1.8.4-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: ttfautohint-libs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Automated hinting utility for TrueType fonts (libraries) | https://freetype.org/ttfautohint/ - dnf - ttfautohint - 1.8.4-12.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ttfautohint from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Automated hinting utility for TrueType fonts | http://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint - dnf - ttfautohint-devel - 1.8.4-12.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ttfautohint-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for ttfautohint-libs | http://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint - dnf - ttfautohint-gui - 1.8.4-12.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ttfautohint-gui from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | GUI for ttfautohint based on Qt | http://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint - dnf - ttfautohint-libs - 1.8.4-12.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: ttfautohint-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Library for ttfautohint | http://www.freetype.org/ttfautohint ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [freetype](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/freetype/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [harfbuzz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/harfbuzz/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libpng](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libpng/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ttf2pt1](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ttf2pt1/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fonts, truetype. - [fonttools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fonttools/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fonts. - [nerdfix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nerdfix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fonts. - [t1lib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/t1lib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fonts. - [t1utils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/t1utils/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fonts. - [figlet](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/figlet/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fonts. - [pango](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pango/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, fonts. - [texlive](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/texlive/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, fonts, freetype. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/ttfautohint.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/ttfautohint.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph