# What is an embedded font?

Source: https://epubcc.com/glossary/embedded-font/ (updated 2026-11-04)

An embedded font is a font file (often only the glyphs used) stored inside a PDF or an EPUB, so the text displays the same on any device. In EPUB it is declared with @font-face in the CSS.

## Why it matters when you convert a PDF to EPUB

PDF fonts are usually subsets with licences that may not allow re-use, and the reader's own fonts read better on an e-ink screen anyway. A converter normally leaves PDF fonts behind and keeps only emphasis (bold, italic) and structure, embedding a font only when a script needs it.

How EpubCC handles it: no font is copied from the PDF into the EPUB and the stylesheet sets no font family, so the reading app uses its own fonts and the reader's choice. Bold text in the PDF is still used as a clue to find headings: a short block in bold at body size can become a heading.