Free alternatives to Arial Narrow
Arial Narrow is not an open font. These open fonts come closest by measured letter widths, the property that decides whether text keeps its line breaks when the font is swapped.
Closest open fonts to Arial Narrow
Measured on every printable character both fonts contain. A smaller difference means the same words take the same space, so lines break in the same places.
- Archivo Narrow Regularnearly identical widths (3.5 units)
- Archivo Narrow Mediumvery close widths (9.7 units)
- Archivo Narrow SemiBoldsimilar widths (16.7 units)
- Archivo Narrow Boldsimilar widths (23.5 units)
- Pragati Narrow Boldsimilar widths (28.4 units)
- Jaldi Regularloosely similar widths (30.4 units)
- Jaldi Boldloosely similar widths (30.4 units)
- Roboto Condensed ExtraLightloosely similar widths (30.9 units)
- Roboto Condensed Thinloosely similar widths (31.1 units)
- Roboto Condensed Lightloosely similar widths (31.6 units)
Arial Narrow measured
| Average lowercase letter width | 401.5 units per 1000 em |
|---|---|
| Average capital letter width | 555.5 units per 1000 em |
| Word space | 228 units per 1000 em |
| Digits | tabular (every digit is 456.1 units wide, so columns of numbers line up) |
| Spacing | proportional |
| Width of i compared with m | 27% |
| Printable ASCII characters covered | 94 of 94 |
Editing a PDF that uses Arial Narrow
Most PDFs embed only the letters they already use. Type a new letter and many editors either refuse or swap in a different font. Arial Narrow is not freely available, so MythosPDF first uses every letter already embedded in your PDF. If a new letter is missing, it asks before using the closest open font listed here, and tells you which one it used.
Questions people ask
+What is the best free alternative to Arial Narrow?
By measured letter widths, Archivo Narrow Regular: nearly identical widths (3.5 units per 1000 em).
+Can I edit a PDF that uses Arial Narrow without having it installed?
Yes. MythosPDF first uses the letters already embedded in the PDF. For a missing letter it asks before using the closest open font.
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