Font substitution v7+

(mPDF ≥ 7.0)

If a font or default font is declared in HTML or CSS, the font that is actually set is determined by:

Standard use

If called in HTML/CSS the font-family name is converted to an mPDF font-family name (see Font names).

The font requested (including style) is checked to see if it is available to mPDF: set by the array $available_unifonts:

1. If the font[style] exists - selected e.g. trebuchetms['B']
2. If the font[nostyle] exists - selected e.g. trebuchetms['R']
3. Looks up the font-family in the three arrays sans_fonts, serif_fonts, and mono_fonts defined in mPDF $config, in this case looking for ‘trebuchetms’. If found, substitutes a font of similar type (sans-serif, serif, or mono) - the first font in the sans_fonts, serif_fonts, or mono_fonts arrays is used.
4. If no font has yet been selected, the first font in the array $available_unifonts* is selected

* The array  $available_unifonts is initially derived from $this->fontdata in configuration key. (trebuchetms['B'] will be converted to ‘trebuchetmsB')

Core fonts

If core fonts only are specified by using $mpdf = new \Mpdf\Mpdf(['mode' => 'c']), then all font requests will be substituted by Arial/Helvetica, Times or Courier i.e. the core PDF fonts. mPDF determines whether the requested font is a sans-serif, serif or monospace font (as above), and substitutes accordingly. 

Character (font) substitution

If some circumstances, individual characters are replaced by glyphs from another font - see character (font) substitution.