Arabic Font Subsetting Guide
Learn how to optimize Arabic fonts for web while preserving RTL support and ligatures. This guide covers proper subsetting for Arabic, Persian, and Urdu.
Understanding Arabic Script Complexity
Arabic fonts are more complex than Latin fonts. Each letter has up to four different forms. The form depends on where the letter appears in a word. These are called contextual forms.
The four forms are: isolated, initial, medial, and final. When you write a word, letters connect and change shape. A good Arabic font handles this automatically through OpenType features.
Arabic fonts also contain ligatures. These are special combined forms of letter pairs. They make the text look more natural and traditional. Breaking ligatures can make text look wrong.
This complexity makes Arabic font subsetting tricky. You cannot simply remove characters. You must preserve the OpenType tables that control shaping and ligatures.
Arabic Font Sizes
Arabic fonts are generally smaller than CJK fonts. A typical Arabic font is 200KB to 1MB. However, fonts with extensive ligature support can be larger.
Important Warning
Be careful when subsetting Arabic fonts. Removing too many glyphs can break text shaping. Always test thoroughly after subsetting. Make sure all words display correctly.
Arabic Script Languages
The Arabic script is used by many languages. Each adds its own characters. Make sure to include the right ones for your audience:
| Language | Extra Characters | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | Base 28 letters | Standard Arabic alphabet |
| Persian (Farsi) | پ چ ژ گ | Four additional letters |
| Urdu | ٹ ڈ ڑ ں ے | Several unique letters |
| Kurdish | ڤ ۆ ێ | Regional variations exist |
How to Subset Arabic Fonts Safely
Follow these steps to subset Arabic fonts while preserving proper text rendering:
Open the Font Subsetter
Go to our Font Subsetter Tool. The tool processes fonts while preserving OpenType features needed for Arabic.
Upload Your Arabic Font
Drag your font file to the upload area. We support TTF, OTF, WOFF, and WOFF2 formats. Popular choices include Noto Naskh Arabic, Amiri, and Scheherazade.
Make sure your font has good OpenType support. Check that it renders Arabic text correctly before subsetting.
Analyze the Font First
Click the Analyze button before subsetting. This shows what characters and features your font contains. Check the Arabic preset coverage.
A font with 90%+ Arabic coverage will work well. Lower coverage might indicate missing characters.
Select the Arabic Preset
Find "Arabic" in the Quick Presets and click to select it. This includes all standard Arabic characters plus common diacritics.
If you need Persian or Urdu, paste sample text in the From Text box to include those extra characters.
Add Latin If Needed
Many Arabic websites include English content. Select "Basic Latin" too if you display English text. Numbers are often needed as well.
Select the "Numbers" category from Character Categories if you use Western numerals.
Generate and Test
Click Subset Font to create your optimized font. After downloading, test it with real Arabic text on your website.
Check that letters connect properly. Verify that words at the start, middle, and end of lines look correct. Test ligatures like لا (lam-alef).
Unicode Ranges for Arabic
Here are the Unicode ranges for Arabic script characters:
/* Basic Arabic */ U+0600-06FF /* Arabic Supplement */ U+0750-077F /* Arabic Extended-A */ U+08A0-08FF /* Arabic Presentation Forms-A */ U+FB50-FDFF /* Arabic Presentation Forms-B */ U+FE70-FEFF
The Presentation Forms ranges contain ligatures and contextual forms. These are essential for proper Arabic rendering. Do not remove them.
Best Practices for Arabic Fonts
Preserve OpenType Features
Arabic relies on OpenType features for proper rendering. Our tool preserves these automatically. But always verify text shaping after subsetting.
Keep Presentation Forms
The Presentation Forms blocks contain important glyphs. Never remove these ranges entirely. They enable ligatures and contextual shaping.
Test RTL Rendering
After subsetting, test on actual web pages. Ensure right-to-left text direction works. Check mixed Arabic and English content carefully.
Include Diacritics
Arabic diacritics (tashkeel) like fatha, kasra, and damma are important for some content. Include them if your text uses vowel marks.
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Written by
Sarah Mitchell
With help & verified by language expert