: What typographic features are part of the font itself vs part of the software? There are many options in layout programs, and I'm not clear on which options are part of the font file and

@Lee3735518

I know this is an old question, but for anyone searching for such answers, there are simple utility font viewers that will show you what is and is not part of your font files. Easiest way to know what you have.

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@Hamaas979

As a rule of thumb, everything that cannot be automatized in a straightforward manner can be determined by the font. The main exception to this are aspects that depend on a continuous variable, such as the kerning when the letter spacing is increased. However, not all fonts specify everything they can, and the absence of such specifications is a hallmark of low-quality fonts, if they make sense for the font in question.

More specifically:


The default letter and word spacing is defined by the font, however, for they can be adjusted by the typesetting program usually on basis of the default value, e.g., for justified text. The same goes for line spacing.
Kerned pairs are defined in the font.
Italic, boldface, small caps, super- and subscript characters can be individually defined by the font. In current font standards, italic and boldface are realised as separate fonts, while everything else is assessed through OpenType features (or similar). At times small caps are provided as a separate font as a fallback measure when OpenType is not supported.
Lining and old-style, tabular and proportional figures can be defined by the font and can be assessed via OpenType. Any number style can be chosen as a default by the type designer.
Hinting information from instructions to bitmap hints can be defined in the font, but not every rendering software honours these specifications.


For an exhaustive list (but not complete) list, take a look at a list of OpenType features.

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