Subject in evaluation · Troubleshooting
Why are characters missing from a font?
Common reasons for missing letters, accents, numbers and symbols—and how to check before use.
Characters may be intentionally omitted from a demo, outside the language set, incorrectly mapped, unsupported by the application or missing because a different font version is installed.
File limitations
Display and demo fonts often contain fewer characters than text families. A contributor can intentionally limit a demo, while an open-source family may split coverage across several files or releases.
Mapping and application problems
A visible glyph can exist without the Unicode mapping expected by normal typing. Applications may also disable OpenType features, use a fallback font or retain an older cached version.
- Inspect the glyph map
- Confirm the exact installed version
- Restart the application
- Test the Unicode character
- Report incorrect catalogue data
Check before the project
Use real text and the searchable Trusted Free Fonts glyph map before downloading. This avoids discovering halfway through a design that a required accent, currency sign or punctuation mark is absent.
Separate absence from fallback failure
A character may be missing because the font never mapped that Unicode value, because only another style contains it, or because the application selected a different family. Empty squares can also come from corrupted caches, unsupported shaping or text encoded as a combining sequence. Inspect the verified glyph map and the application’s selected font before editing the document.
Copy the problematic character into a plain test file, note its Unicode value and compare Regular, Bold and Italic. If another font suddenly supplies the shape, fallback is active. A visually similar symbol elsewhere in the glyph set does not solve the mapping problem.
Choose the right remedy
For a multilingual project, replace the family or add a deliberately matched fallback with the required script and metrics. Do not paste decorative lookalikes or draw missing accents into final text without checking language and licence requirements. When modifying the font is permitted, the work still needs correct Unicode mapping, spacing, mark positioning and testing across styles.
Report a catalogue coverage error with the font version, style, character, Unicode value and a screenshot showing the selected family. That evidence distinguishes a file limitation from an application problem and makes the public record easier to correct.
- Confirm the exact character and code point.
- Check every required style.
- Disable or identify fallback during testing.
- Use a compatible family instead of inventing a glyph when rights or skills are unclear.
This guide explains general font practice and the permissions displayed by Trusted Free Fonts. The complete licence attached to a specific font remains the controlling text.