---
name: "addftinfo"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "groff"
version: "1.24.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/addftinfo"
---

# addftinfo(1)

add font metrics to troff fonts for use with groff

## Name

addftinfo - add font metrics to *troff* fonts for use with *groff*

## Synopsis

**addftinfo** \[**-asc-height**  *n*\] \[**-body-depth**  *n*\] \[**-body-height**  *n*\] \[**-cap-height**  *n*\] \[**-comma-depth**  *n*\] \[**-desc-depth**  *n*\] \[**-fig-height**  *n*\] \[**-x-height**  *n*\] *resolution* *unit-width* *font*

**addftinfo** **--help**

**addftinfo** **-v**

**addftinfo** **--version**

## Description

*addftinfo* reads an AT&T *troff* font description file *font*, adds further font metric information required by GNU [*troff*(1)](/troff/1.md), and writes the combined result to the standard output stream. The information added is derived from the font's existing parameters and assumptions about traditional *troff* names for characters. Among the font metrics added are the heights and depths of characters (how far each extends vertically above and below the baseline). The *resolution* and *unit-width* arguments should be the same as the corresponding parameters in the *DESC* file. *font* is the name of the file describing the font; if *font* ends with “**I**”, the font is assumed to be oblique (or italic).

## Options

**--help** displays a usage message, while **-v** and **--version** show version information; all exit afterward.

All other options change parameters that are used to derive the heights and depths. Like the existing quantities in the font description file, each value *n* is in *scaled points,* inches/*resolution* for a font whose type size is *unit-width*; see [*groff\_font*(5)](/groff_font/5.md).

- **-asc-height** *n*

  height of characters with ascenders, such as “b”, “d”, or “l”

- **-body-depth** *n*

  depth of characters such as parentheses

- **-body-height** *n*

  height of characters such as parentheses

- **-cap-height** *n*

  height of uppercase letters such as “A”

- **-comma-depth** *n*

  depth of a comma

- **-desc-depth** *n*

  depth of characters with descenders, such as “p”, “q”, or “y”

- **-fig-height**

  height of figures (numerals)

- **-x-height** *n*

  height of lowercase letters without ascenders such as “x”

*addftinfo* makes no attempt to use the specified parameters to infer unspecified parameters. If a parameter is not specified, the default will be used. The defaults are chosen to produce reasonable values for a Times font.

## Exit status

*addftinfo* exits with status **0** on successful operation, and status **2** if the program cannot interpret its command-line arguments.

## See also

[*groff\_font*(5)](/groff_font/5.md), [*groff*(1)](/groff/1.md), [*groff\_char*(7)](/groff_char/7.md)