Google Chrome Extensions

chrome.fontSettings

The Font Settings API allows you to manage Chrome's font settings.

Manifest

To use the Font Settings API, you must declare the "fontSettings" permission in the extension manifest. For example:

{
  "name": "My Font Settings Extension",
  "description": "Customize your fonts",
  "version": "0.2",
  "permissions": ["fontSettings"]
}

Generic Font Families and Scripts

Chrome allows for some font settings to depend on certain generic font families and language scripts. For example, the font used for sans-serif Simplified Chinese may be different than the font used for serif Japanese.

The generic font families supported by Chrome are based on CSS generic font families and are listed in the API reference below. When a webpage specifies a generic font family, Chrome selects the font based on the corresponding setting. If no generic font family is specified, Chrome uses the setting for the "standard" generic font family.

When a webpage specifies a language, Chrome selects the font based on the setting for the corresponding language script. If no language is specified, Chrome uses the setting for the default, or global, script.

The supported language scripts are specified by ISO 15924 script code and listed in the API reference below. Technically, Chrome settings are not strictly per-script but also depend on language. For example, Chrome chooses the font for Cyrillic (ISO 15924 script code "Cyrl") when a webpage specifies the Russian language, and uses this font not just for Cyrillic script but for everything the font covers, such as Latin.

Examples

The following code gets the standard font for Arabic.

chrome.fontSettings.getFont(
  { genericFamily: 'standard', script: 'Arab' },
  function(details) { console.log(details.fontId); }
);

The next snippet sets the sans-serif font for Japanese.

chrome.fontSettings.setFont(
  { genericFamily: 'sansserif', script: 'Jpan', fontId: 'MS PGothic' }
);

You can find a sample extension using the Font Settings API in the examples/api/fontSettings directory. For other examples and for help in viewing the source code, see Samples.

API Reference: chrome.fontSettings

Types

FontName

( object )
Represents a font name.

Properties of FontName

fontId ( string )
The font ID.
displayName ( string )
The display name of the font.

ScriptCode

( enumerated string ["Afak", "Arab", "Armi", "Armn", "Avst", "Bali", "Bamu", "Bass", "Batk", "Beng", "Blis", "Bopo", "Brah", "Brai", "Bugi", "Buhd", "Cakm", "Cans", "Cari", "Cham", "Cher", "Cirt", "Copt", "Cprt", "Cyrl", "Cyrs", "Deva", "Dsrt", "Dupl", "Egyd", "Egyh", "Egyp", "Elba", "Ethi", "Geor", "Geok", "Glag", "Goth", "Gran", "Grek", "Gujr", "Guru", "Hang", "Hani", "Hano", "Hans", "Hant", "Hebr", "Hluw", "Hmng", "Hung", "Inds", "Ital", "Java", "Jpan", "Jurc", "Kali", "Khar", "Khmr", "Khoj", "Knda", "Kpel", "Kthi", "Lana", "Laoo", "Latf", "Latg", "Latn", "Lepc", "Limb", "Lina", "Linb", "Lisu", "Loma", "Lyci", "Lydi", "Mand", "Mani", "Maya", "Mend", "Merc", "Mero", "Mlym", "Moon", "Mong", "Mroo", "Mtei", "Mymr", "Narb", "Nbat", "Nkgb", "Nkoo", "Nshu", "Ogam", "Olck", "Orkh", "Orya", "Osma", "Palm", "Perm", "Phag", "Phli", "Phlp", "Phlv", "Phnx", "Plrd", "Prti", "Rjng", "Roro", "Runr", "Samr", "Sara", "Sarb", "Saur", "Sgnw", "Shaw", "Shrd", "Sind", "Sinh", "Sora", "Sund", "Sylo", "Syrc", "Syre", "Syrj", "Syrn", "Tagb", "Takr", "Tale", "Talu", "Taml", "Tang", "Tavt", "Telu", "Teng", "Tfng", "Tglg", "Thaa", "Thai", "Tibt", "Tirh", "Ugar", "Vaii", "Visp", "Wara", "Wole", "Xpeo", "Xsux", "Yiii", "Zmth", "Zsym", "Zyyy"] )
An ISO 15924 script code. The default, or global, script is represented by script code "Zyyy".

GenericFamily

( enumerated string ["standard", "sansserif", "serif", "fixed", "cursive", "fantasy"] )
A CSS generic font family.

LevelOfControl

( enumerated string ["not_controllable", "controlled_by_other_extensions", "controllable_by_this_extension", "controlled_by_this_extension"] )
One of
not_controllable: cannot be controlled by any extension
controlled_by_other_extensions: controlled by extensions with higher precedence
controllable_by_this_extension: can be controlled by this extension
controlled_by_this_extension: controlled by this extension

Methods

clearFont

chrome.fontSettings.clearFont(object details)

Clears the font set by this extension, if any.

Parameters

details ( object )
script ( optional ScriptCode )
The script for which the font should be cleared. If omitted, the global script font setting is cleared.
genericFamily ( GenericFamily )
The generic font family for which the font should be cleared.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

getFont

chrome.fontSettings.getFont(object details)

Gets the font for a given script and generic font family.

Parameters

details ( object )
script ( optional ScriptCode )
The script for which the font should be retrieved. If omitted, the font setting for the global script (script code "Zyyy") is retrieved.
genericFamily ( GenericFamily )
The generic font family for which the font should be retrieved.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function(object details) {...};
details ( object )
fontId ( string )
The font ID. Rather than the literal font ID preference value, this may be the ID of the font that the system resolves the preference value to. So, fontId can differ from the font passed to setFont, if, for example, the font is not available on the system. The empty string signifies fallback to the global script font setting.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

setFont

chrome.fontSettings.setFont(object details)

Sets the font for a given script and generic font family.

Parameters

details ( object )
script ( optional ScriptCode )
The script code which the font should be set. If omitted, the font setting for the global script (script code "Zyyy") is set.
genericFamily ( GenericFamily )
The generic font family for which the font should be set.
fontId ( string )
The font ID. The empty string means to fallback to the global script font setting.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

getFontList

chrome.fontSettings.getFontList()

Gets a list of fonts on the system.

clearDefaultFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.clearDefaultFontSize(object details)

Clears the default font size set by this extension, if any.

Parameters

details ( optional object )
This parameter is currently unused.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

getDefaultFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.getDefaultFontSize(object details)

Gets the default font size.

Parameters

details ( optional object )
This parameter is currently unused.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function(object details) {...};
details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

setDefaultFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.setDefaultFontSize(object details)

Sets the default font size.

Parameters

details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

clearDefaultFixedFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.clearDefaultFixedFontSize(object details)

Clears the default fixed font size set by this extension, if any.

Parameters

details ( optional object )
This parameter is currently unused.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

getDefaultFixedFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.getDefaultFixedFontSize(object details)

Gets the default size for fixed width fonts.

Parameters

details ( optional object )
This parameter is currently unused.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function(object details) {...};
details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

setDefaultFixedFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.setDefaultFixedFontSize(object details)

Sets the default size for fixed width fonts.

Parameters

details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

clearMinimumFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.clearMinimumFontSize(object details)

Clears the minimum font size set by this extension, if any.

Parameters

details ( optional object )
This parameter is currently unused.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

getMinimumFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.getMinimumFontSize(object details)

Gets the minimum font size.

Parameters

details ( optional object )
This parameter is currently unused.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function(object details) {...};
details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

setMinimumFontSize

chrome.fontSettings.setMinimumFontSize(object details)

Sets the minimum font size.

Parameters

details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.

Callback function

If you specify the callback parameter, it should specify a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

Events

onFontChanged

chrome.fontSettings.onFontChanged.addListener(function(object details) {...});

Fired when a font setting changes.

Listener Parameters

details ( object )
fontId ( string )
The font ID. See the description in getFont.
script ( optional ScriptCode )
The script code for which the font setting has changed.
genericFamily ( GenericFamily )
The generic font family for which the font setting has changed.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

onDefaultFontSizeChanged

chrome.fontSettings.onDefaultFontSizeChanged.addListener(function(object details) {...});

Fired when the default font size setting changes.

Listener Parameters

details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

onDefaultFixedFontSizeChanged

chrome.fontSettings.onDefaultFixedFontSizeChanged.addListener(function(object details) {...});

Fired when the default fixed font size setting changes.

Listener Parameters

details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

onMinimumFontSizeChanged

chrome.fontSettings.onMinimumFontSizeChanged.addListener(function(object details) {...});

Fired when the minimum font size setting changes.

Listener Parameters

details ( object )
pixelSize ( integer )
The font size in pixels.
levelOfControl ( LevelOfControl )
The level of control this extension has over the setting.

Sample Extensions that use chrome.fontSettings

  • Font Settings – Sample extension for Font Settings API