---
name: "fc-scan"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "fontconfig"
version: "2:2.18.3-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fc-scan"
---

# fc-scan(1)

scan font files or directories

## NAME

fc-scan - scan font files or directories

## SYNOPSIS

**fc-scan** \[ **-Vh** \]\
     \[ **-f** *format* \| **--format** *format* \] \[ **--version** \] \[ **--help** \] *file ...*

## DESCRIPTION

**fc-scan** scans *file*(s) recursively and prints out font pattern for each face found.

## OPTIONS

This program follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (\`-').  A summary of options is included below.

- **-f --format** *format*

  Format output according to the format specifier *format*.

- **-V --version**

  Show version of the program and exit.

- **-h --help**

  Show summary of options.

- *file*

  Scan *file* recursively for font faces.

## RETURN CODES

**fc-scan** returns error code 0 if at least one font was found or 1 otherwise.

## SEE ALSO

[**fc-query**(1)](/fc-query/1.md) [**FcFileScan**(3)](/FcFileScan/3.md) [**FcDirScan**(3)](/FcDirScan/3.md) [**FcPatternFormat**(3)](/FcPatternFormat/3.md) [**fc-cat**(1)](/fc-cat/1.md) [**fc-cache**(1)](/fc-cache/1.md) [**fc-list**(1)](/fc-list/1.md) [**fc-match**(1)](/fc-match/1.md) [**fc-pattern**(1)](/fc-pattern/1.md)

The fontconfig user's guide \<URL:https://fontconfig.pages.freedesktop.org/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html\>

## AUTHOR

This manual page was updated by Behdad Esfahbod \<behdad@behdad.org\>.