---
name: "PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-pdf-builder"
version: "3.028-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont"
---

# PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont(3pm)

Module for using the 14 standard PDF built-in Fonts (plus 15 Windows Fonts) Inherits from PDF::Builder::Resource::Font

## NAME

PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont - Module for using the 14 standard PDF built-in Fonts (plus 15 Windows Fonts)

Inherits from PDF::Builder::Resource::Font

## SYNOPSIS

```
    #
    use PDF::Builder;
    #
    my $pdf = PDF::Builder->new();
    my $cft = $pdf->font('Times-Roman');
   #my $cft = $pdf->corefont('Times-Roman');
    #
    my $page = $pdf->page();
    my $text = $page->text();
    $text->font($cft, 20);
    $text->translate(200, 700);
    $text->text("Hello, World!");
```

## METHODS

### new

```
    $font = PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont->new($pdf, $fontname, %options)
```

Returns a corefont object.

### Supported typefaces

*Standard PDF types*

See examples/020\_corefonts for a list of each font's glyphs.

- •

  Helvetica, Helvetica-Oblique, Helvetica-Bold, Helvetia-BoldOblique

  Sans-serif, may have Arial substituted on some systems (e.g., Windows).

- •

  Courier, Courier-Oblique, Courier-Bold, Courier-BoldOblique

  Fixed pitch, may have Courier New substituted on some systems (e.g., Windows).

- •

  Times-Roman, Times-Italic, Times-Bold, Times-BoldItalic

  Serif, may have Times New Roman substituted on some systems (e.g., Windows).

- •

  Symbol, ZapfDingbats

  Various symbols, including the Greek alphabet (in Symbol).

*Primarily Windows typefaces*

See examples/022\_truefonts /Windows/Fonts/\<name\>.ttf  for a list of each font's glyphs. examples/020\_corefonts can also be used.

- •

  Georgia, Georgia-Italic, Georgia-Bold, Georgia-BoldItalic

  Serif proportional.

- •

  Trebuchet, Trebuchet-Italic, Trebuchet-Bold, Trebuchet-BoldItalic

  Sans-serif proportional with simple strokes.

- •

  Verdana, Verdana-Italic, Verdana-Bold, Verdana-BoldItalic

  Sans-serif proportional with simple strokes.

- •

  BankGothic, BankGothic-Italic, BankGothic-Bold, BankGothic-BoldItalic

  Sans-serif proportional with simple strokes. Free versions of Bank Gothic are often only medium weight Roman (BankGothic), and this is all that usually comes with Windows.

- •

  Webdings, Wingdings

  Various symbols, in the vein of Zapf Dingbats.

Keep in mind that only font metrics (widths) are provided with PDF::Builder; the fonts themselves are provided by the reader's machine (often packaged with the operating system, or obtained separately by the user). To use a specific font may require you to obtain one or more files from some source.

If a font (typeface and variant) is not available on a given reader's machine, a substitution *may* be automatically made. For example, Helvetica is usually not shipped with Windows machines, and Arial might be substituted. For most characters, the glyph widths will be the same, but this can not be  guaranteed!

PDF::Builder currently uses the \[typeface\].pm files to map glyph names to code points (single byte encodings only) and to look up the glyph widths for character positioning. There is no guarantee that a given font file includes all the desired glyphs, nor that the widths will be absolutely the same, even in different releases of the same font.

### Options

- encode

  Changes the encoding of the font from its default. Notice that the encoding (*not* the entire font's glyph list) is shown in a PDF object (record), listing 256 glyphs associated with this encoding (*and* that are available in this  font).

  See *Perl's Encode* for the supported values. **Warning:** only single byte  encodings are permitted. Multibyte encodings such as 'utf8' are forbidden.

- dokern

  Enables kerning if data is available.

  `"kerning"` is an older name for this option, and is still available as an **alternative** to `"dokern"`.

- pdfname

  Changes the reference-name of the font from its default. The reference-name is normally generated automatically and can be retrieved via `$pdfname`=$font-\>**name()**.

- metrics

  If given, it is expected to be an anonymous hash of font file data. This is to be used instead of looking up the *$fontname*.pm file for width and other data. You may need to use this option if your installed font happens to be out of sync with the PDF::Builder built-in core font metrics file (e.g., *helveticabold.pm*).

### is\_standard

```
    $bool = $class->is_standard($name)
    $bool = $class->is_standard($name, $win_flag)
```

Returns true if `$name` is an exact, case-sensitive match for one of the standard font names shown above. If `$win_flag` is given, and is true (1), check against not only the basic 14 fonts, but also against the additional 15 Windows core font extensions.

### names

```
    my @font_names = PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont->names($flag);
    my $array_ref  = PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont->names($flag);
```

Returns an array or a reference to an array containing the names of the built-in core (standard) fonts.

If called with an optional `$flag` of "true" value (1),  the additional 15 Windows core fonts are included.

### loadallfonts

```
    PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont->loadallfonts($flag)
```

"Requires in" all fonts available as corefonts, including Windows extensions if the optional `$flag` is given and is "true" (1).

**Warning:** "dies" if any requested font is not found!

## AUTHOR

Alfred Reibenschuh