---
name: "pango-view"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pango"
version: "1:1.58.2-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pango-view"
---

# pango-view(1)

Pango text viewer

## Name

pango-view - Pango text viewer

## SYNOPSIS

```
pango-view [OPTIONS...] FILE
```

## DESCRIPTION

**pango-view** formats a text using Pango, with options to exercise most of Pango's layout features.

## HELP OPTIONS

- **-h, --help**

  Show help options.

- **--help-all**

  Show all help options.

- **--help-cairo**

  Show help for options understood by the cairo backend.

- **--version**

  Print the command's version and exit.

## CAIRO BACKEND OPTIONS

- **--annotate=FLAGS**

  Annotate the output. Comma-separated list of gravity, progression, baselines, layout, line, run, cluster, char, glyph, caret, slope

## APPLICATION OPTIONS

- **--no-auto-dir**

  No layout direction according to contents.

- **--backend=cairo/xft/ft2**

  Pango backend to use for rendering (default: cairo).

- **--background=red/#rrggbb/#rrggbbaa/transparent**

  Set the background color.

- **-q, --no-display**

  Do not display (just write to file or whatever).

- **--dpi=number**

  Set the resolution.

- **--align=left/center/right**

  Set text alignment.

- **--ellipsize=start/middle/end**

  Set ellipsization mode.

- **--font=description**

  Set the font description.

- **--foreground=red/#rrggbb/#rrggbbaa**

  Set the text color.

- **--gravity=south/east/north/west/auto**

  Set base gravity: glyph rotation.

- **--gravity-hint=natural/strong/line**

  Set gravity hint.

- **--header**

  Display the options in the output.

- **--height=+points/-numlines**

  Set height in points (positive) or number of lines (negative) for ellipsizing.

- **--hinting=none/auto/slight/medium/full**

  Set hinting style.

- **--antialias=none/gray/subpixel**

  Set antialiasing.

- **--hint-metrics=on/off**

  Set hint metrics.

- **--subpixel-positions**

  Set subpixel positioning.

- **--subpixel-order=rgb/bgr/vrgb/vbgr**

  Set subpixel order.

- **--indent=points**

  Set paragraph indentation (in points).

- **--spacing=points**

  Set line spacing (in points).

- **--line-spacing=factor**

  Set spread factor for line height.

- **--justify**

  Stretch paragraph lines to be justified.

- **--justify-last-line**

  Justify the last line of the paragraph.

- **--language=en\_US/etc**

  Set language to use for font selection.

**--margin=CSS-style numbers in pixels**

Set the margin on the output in pixels.

- **--markup**

  Interpret text as Pango markup.

- **-o, --output=file**

  Save rendered image to output file.

- **--pixels**

  Use pixel units instead of points (sets dpi to 72).

- **--pango-units**

  Use Pango units instead of points.

- **--rtl**

  Set base direction to right-to-left.

- **--rotate=degrees**

  Set angle at which to rotate results,

- **-n, --runs=integer**

  Run Pango layout engine this many times.

- **--single-par**

  Enable single-paragraph mode.

- **-t, --text=string**

  Text to display (instead of a file).

- **--waterfall**

  Create a waterfall display.

- **-w, --width=points**

  Width in points to which to wrap lines or ellipsize.

- **--wrap=word/char/word-char**

  Text wrapping mode (needs a width to be set).

- **--serialized=FILE**

  Create layout from a serialized file,

- **--serialize-to=FILE**

  Serialize result to a file.