---
id: ufolib2
version: "0.18.1"
license: Apache 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# ufoLib2 — ufoLib2 is a UFO font processing library.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 87.5K/mo

## What it is and what it does

ufoLib2 is a thin, fast library for working with Unified Font Object (UFO) files programmatically. It provides a straightforward Python interface to read, inspect, and modify UFO data without the overhead of notifications, layout engines, or other support classes found in heavier font libraries. It builds on fontTools and aims to be API-compatible with defcon where practical, making it suitable for developers who need to automate font processing tasks, batch-edit glyphs, or integrate UFO handling into larger font tools.

The library is designed for speed and simplicity: it strips away features you may not need in order to keep the core lean and predictable. If you're writing scripts to transform fonts, extract glyph data, or build font-processing pipelines, ufoLib2 offers a direct path to the UFO data model without unnecessary complexity.

Use it for:

- Batch-process hundreds of UFO files to extract glyph metrics or modify outlines programmatically.
- Automate font design workflows by reading and updating UFO metadata, kerning, or feature code.
- Build font validation or analysis tools that need fast, lightweight access to UFO structure.
- Integrate UFO file handling into larger font build pipelines or CI/CD systems.
- Script-driven font transformations (scaling, renaming glyphs, updating Unicode mappings).

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

ufoLib2 provides a lightweight, programmatic interface to read and manipulate Unified Font Object (UFO) files, designed for batch processing and fast iteration over font data.

Yes. ufoLib2 is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, installs with minimal friction, and fills a clear niche for developers who need fast, lightweight UFO processing without the overhead of heavier font libraries. The Apache 2.0 license is permissive and suitable for both open-source and commercial work. Install it if you're automating font tasks or building font tools.

## Install

pip install ufolib2
uv add ufolib2
poetry add ufolib2

## Installing ufoLib2

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with only two lightweight runtime dependencies (attrs and fonttools). Active maintenance with recent commits; last release 400 days ago suggests stable, mature code rather than rapid iteration.

License in practice: Apache 2.0 is permissive and business-friendly; you can use, modify, and distribute ufoLib2 in commercial projects with minimal restrictions, provided you include a copy of the license.

Quickstart:

pip install ufoLib2

from ufoLib2 import Font
font = Font.open('path/to/font.ufo')
for glyph in font:
    print(glyph.name)

Requires Python 3.9 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether ufoLib2 handles all UFO 3 spec features or only a subset of the data model.
- Performance characteristics for very large UFO files or batch operations on hundreds of fonts.
- API compatibility scope with defcon—which methods are guaranteed to work identically.

## Package facts

- License: Apache 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 87.5K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

UFO font file processing, unified font object library, font data manipulation, batch font processing, UFO format reader, font design automation, programmatic font editing, font-tools, ufo-format, batch-processing

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/ufolib2) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/ufolib2/)