UPDMAP(1)

📦
version 2026.1 · 9 versions
, in arch rolling

💅 NAME 💅

This is the UPDMAP(1) page — User Commands — and it's giving “font map management, but make it a group chat.” The trio is:

  • updmap — manage TeX font maps
  • updmap-sys — manage TeX font maps, system-wide
  • updmap-user — manage TeX font maps, per-user

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

updmap [-user|-sys] [OPTION] ... [COMMAND]
updmap-user [OPTION] ... [COMMAND]
updmap-sys [OPTION] ... [COMMAND]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Okay so first thing: this is updmap version r77314 (2026-01-09 17:20:28 +0100). Iconic timestamp behavior, honestly.

updmap updates the default font map files used by pdftex and dvipdfm(x) (pdftex.map), dvips (psfonts.map), and optionally pxdvi, as determined by all configuration files updmap.cfg (usually the ones returned by running kpsewhich --all updmap.cfg, but see below).

Among other things, these map files are used to determine which fonts should be used as bitmaps and which as outlines, and to determine which font files are included, typically subsetted, in the PDF or PostScript output. Very “behind the scenes but actually running the whole show” of them.

These maps are for fonts installed within the TeX hierarchy, and are not related to any system font lookups. They are primarily used for Type 1 fonts, though a few OpenType and TrueType fonts are involved also. So don’t go looking for your system fonts in here, bestie — different universe.

updmap-sys (or updmap -sys) is intended to affect the system-wide configuration, while updmap-user (or updmap -user) affects personal configuration files only, overriding the system files.

⚠️ As a consequence, once updmap-user has been run, even a single time, running updmap-sys no longer has any effect. updmap-sys issues a warning about this, since it is rarely desirable. See https://tug.org/texlive/scripts-sys-user.html for details. This is not a drill — the override has main character energy and it does not give it back.

By default, the TeX filename database (ls-R) is also updated; use --nohash to skip that step.

The updmap system is regrettably complicated, for both inherent and historical reasons. A general overview:

  • updmap.cfg files are mainly about listing other files, namely the font-specific .maps, in which each line gives information about a different TeX (.tfm) font.
  • updmap reads the updmap.cfg files and then concatenates the contents of those .map files into the main output files, generically named: psfonts.map for dvips, and pdftex.map for pdftex and dvipdfmx.
  • The updmap.cfg files themselves are created and updated at package installation time, by the system installer or the package manager or by hand, and not (by default) by updmap.

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • --cnffile FILE — read FILE for the updmap configuration (can be given multiple times, in which case all the files are used)
  • --dvipdfmxoutputdir DIR — specify output directory (dvipdfm(x) syntax)
  • --dvipsoutputdir DIR — specify output directory (dvips syntax)
  • --pdftexoutputdir DIR — specify output directory (pdftex syntax)
  • --pxdvioutputdir DIR — specify output directory (pxdvi syntax)
  • --outputdir DIR — specify output directory (for all files)
  • --[no-]copy — create generic files as copies (default); with -no-copy, create symlinks
  • --force — recreate files even if config hasn't changed
  • --nomkmap — do not recreate map files
  • --nohash — do not run mktexlsr (a.k.a. texhash)
  • --sys — affect system-wide files (equivalent to updmap-sys)
  • --user — affect personal files (equivalent to updmap-user)
  • -n, --dry-run — only show the configuration, no output
  • --quiet, --silent — reduce verbosity

🌸 Commands 🌸

  • --help — show this message and exit
  • --version — show version information and exit
  • --showoption OPTION — show the current setting of OPTION
  • --showoptions OPTION — show possible settings for OPTION
  • --setoption OPTION VALUE — set OPTION to value; option names below
  • --setoption OPTION=VALUE — as above, just different syntax
  • --enable MAPTYPE MAPFILE — add "MAPTYPE MAPFILE" to updmap.cfg, where MAPTYPE is Map, MixedMap, or KanjiMap
  • --enable Map=MAPFILE — add "Map MAPFILE" to updmap.cfg
  • --enable MixedMap=MAPFILE — add "MixedMap MAPFILE" to updmap.cfg
  • --enable KanjiMap=MAPFILE — add "KanjiMap MAPFILE" to updmap.cfg
  • --disable MAPFILE — disable MAPFILE, of whatever type
  • --listmaps — list all maps (details below)
  • --listavailablemaps — list available maps (details below)
  • --syncwithtrees — disable unavailable map files in updmap.cfg

💖 The main output 💖

The main output of updmap is the files containing the individual font map lines which the drivers (dvips, pdftex, etc.) read to handle fonts.

The map files for dvips (psfonts.map) and pdftex and dvipdfmx (pdftex.map) are written to TEXMFVAR/fonts/map/updmap/{dvips,pdftex}/.

In addition, information about Kanji fonts is written to TEXMFVAR/fonts/map/updmap/dvipdfmx/kanjix.map, and optionally to TEXMFVAR/fonts/map/updmap/pxdvi/xdvi-ptex.map. These are for Kanji only and are not like other map files. dvipdfmx reads pdftex.map for the map entries for non-Kanji fonts.

If no option is given, so the invocation is just updmap-user or updmap-sys, these output files are always recreated.

Otherwise, if an option such as --enable or --disable is given, the output files are recreated if the list of enabled map files (from updmap.cfg) has changed. The --force option overrides this, always recreating the output files.

🌈 Explanation of the map types 🌈

The normal type is Map.

The only difference between Map and MixedMap is that MixedMap entries are not added to psfonts_pk.map. The purpose is to help users with devices that render Type 1 outline fonts worse than mode-tuned Type 3 bitmap fonts. So, MixedMap is used for fonts that are available as both Type 1 and Metafont.

KanjiMap entries are added to psfonts_t1.map and kanjix.map.

⭐ Explanation of the OPTION names for --showoptions, --showoption, --setoption ⭐

  • dvipsPreferOutline — true,false (default true). Whether dvips uses bitmaps or outlines, when both are available.
  • dvipsDownloadBase35 — true,false (default true). Whether dvips includes the standard 35 PostScript fonts in its output.
  • pdftexDownloadBase14 — true,false (default true). Whether pdftex includes the standard 14 PDF fonts in its output.
  • pxdviUse — true,false (default false). Whether maps for pxdvi (Japanese-patched xdvi) are under updmap's control.
  • jaEmbed — (any string)
  • jaVariant — (any string)
  • scEmbed — (any string)
  • tcEmbed — (any string)
  • koEmbed — (any string)

See below.

  • LW35 — URWkb,URW,ADOBEkb,ADOBE (default URWkb). Adapt the font and file names of the standard 35 PostScript fonts.
  • URWkb — URW fonts with "berry" filenames (e.g. uhvbo8ac.pfb)
  • URW — URW fonts with "vendor" filenames (e.g. n019064l.pfb)
  • ADOBEkb — Adobe fonts with "berry" filenames (e.g. phvbo8an.pfb)
  • ADOBE — Adobe fonts with "vendor" filenames (e.g. hvnbo___.pfb)

These options are only read and acted on by updmap; dvips, pdftex, etc., do not know anything about them. They work by changing the default map file which the programs read, so they can be overridden by specifying command-line options or configuration files to the programs, as explained at the beginning of updmap.cfg.

The options jaEmbed and jaVariant (formerly kanjiEmbed and kanjiVariant) specify special replacements in the map lines. If a map contains the string @jaEmbed@, then this will be replaced by the value of that option; similarly for jaVariant. In this way, users of Japanese TeX can select different fonts to be included in the final output. The counterpart for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean fonts are scEmbed, tcEmbed and koEmbed respectively.

🌸 ENVIRONMENT 🌸

Okay bestie, this is the part where we explain trees and files normally used, and honestly it's giving forest energy 🌳 so stay with me.

If --cnffile is specified on the command line (and yes, it can be given multiple times), its value(s) is(are) used. Otherwise, updmap reads all the updmap.cfg files found by running kpsewhich -all updmap.cfg, in the order returned by kpsewhich (which is the order of trees defined in texmf.cnf).

In either case, if multiple updmap.cfg files are found, all the maps mentioned in all the updmap.cfg files are merged. Everything. All of it. Merged. 💅

So if updmap.cfg files are present in all trees, and the default layout is used as shipped with TeX Live, the following files are read, in the given order:

For updmap-sys:

TEXMFSYSCONFIG $TEXLIVE/YYYY/texmf-config/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFSYSVAR    $TEXLIVE/YYYY/texmf-var/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFLOCAL     $TEXLIVE/texmf-local/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFDIST      $TEXLIVE/YYYY/texmf-dist/web2c/updmap.cfg

For updmap-user:

TEXMFCONFIG    $HOME/.texliveYYYY/texmf-config/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFVAR       $HOME/.texliveYYYY/texmf-var/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFHOME      $HOME/texmf/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFSYSCONFIG $TEXLIVE/YYYY/texmf-config/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFSYSVAR    $TEXLIVE/YYYY/texmf-var/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFLOCAL     $TEXLIVE/texmf-local/web2c/updmap.cfg
TEXMFDIST      $TEXLIVE/YYYY/texmf-dist/web2c/updmap.cfg

(where YYYY is the TeX Live release version, in case you were like "what is this year situation" 🗓️)

Depending on the actions, updmap might write to one of the given files or create a new updmap.cfg, described further below. Slay.

🎀 Where and which updmap.cfg changes are saved

When no options are given, the updmap.cfg file(s) are only read, not written. Nothing gets touched. Chill vibes only. 😌 It's when an option --setoption, --enable or --disable is specified that an updmap.cfg needs to be updated. In this case:

  1. If config files are given on the command line, then the first one given is used to save any such changes.
  2. If the config files are taken from kpsewhich output, then the algorithm is more complex:

2a. If $TEXMFCONFIG/web2c/updmap.cfg or $TEXMFHOME/web2c/updmap.cfg appears in the list of used files, then the one listed first by kpsewhich --all (equivalently, the one returned by kpsewhich updmap.cfg), is used.

2b. If neither of the above two are present and changes are made, a new config file is created in $TEXMFCONFIG/web2c/updmap.cfg.

In general, the idea is that if the user cannot write to a given config file, a higher-level one can be used. That way, the distribution's settings can be overridden system-wide using TEXMFLOCAL, and system settings can be overridden again in a particular user's TEXMFHOME or TEXMFCONFIG. It's giving layered cake 🎂 and honestly? Respect the architecture.

🦋 Resolving multiple definitions of a font

If a font is defined in more than one map file, then the definition coming from the first-listed updmap.cfg is used. If a font is defined multiple times within the same map file, one is chosen arbitrarily. In both cases a warning is issued. Loud and clear, no silent chaos 🙈 — the tool tells you.

💜 Disabling maps

updmap.cfg files with higher priority (listed earlier) can disable maps mentioned in lower priority (listed later) updmap.cfg files by writing, e.g.,

#! Map mapname.map

or

#! MixedMap mapname.map

in the higher-priority updmap.cfg file.

(The #! must be at the beginning of the line, with at least one space or tab afterward, and whitespace between each word on the list. No sneaky spaces before the #!, bestie, it will not work ✨)

As an example, suppose you have a copy of MathTime Pro fonts and want to disable the Belleek version of the fonts; that is, disable the map belleek.map. You can create the file $TEXMFCONFIG/web2c/updmap.cfg with the content

#! Map belleek.map Map mt-plus.map Map mt-yy.map

and call updmap. Done and dusted 💅

💖 Listing of maps

The two options --listmaps and --listavailablemaps list all maps defined in any of the updmap.cfg files (for --listmaps), and only those actually found on the system (for --listavailablemaps). The output format is one line per font map, with the following fields separated by tabs:

  • map
  • type (Map, MixedMap, KanjiMap)
  • status (enabled, disabled)
  • origin (the updmap.cfg file where it is mentioned, or 'builtin' for the three basic maps)

In the case of --listmaps there can be one additional fields (again separated by tab) containing '(not available)' for those map files that cannot be found. (Yes, the original says "one additional fields" — we don't fix the grammar of the manpage, we simply relay it 🫶)

🌈 updmap-user vs. updmap-sys

When updmap-sys is run, TEXMFSYSCONFIG and TEXMFSYSVAR are used instead of TEXMFCONFIG and TEXMFVAR, respectively. This is the primary difference between updmap-sys and updmap-user. That's it. That's the whole drama 👑

Other locations may be used if you give them on the command line, or these trees don't exist, or you are not using the original TeX Live.

To see the precise locations of the various files that will be read and written, give the -n option (or read the source). Reading source is the main character move, honestly.

✨ EXAMPLES ✨

The log file is written to TEXMFVAR/web2c/updmap.log. If something went weird, that's where the receipts live 🧾

For step-by-step instructions on making new fonts known to TeX, read <https://tug.org/fonts/fontinstall.html>. For even more terse instructions, read the beginning of the main updmap.cfg file.

Executable location:

../../../../texk/texlive/../../../../Master/texmf-dist/scripts/texlive/updmap.pl

(yes, that path is real, and yes, it's giving "I got lost in the directory tree and I live here now" 😭)

🔥 FILES 🔥

Configuration and input files

  • updmap.cfg — Main configuration file. In texmf-dist/web2c by default, but may be located elsewhere depending on your distribution. Each texmf tree read should have its own updmap.cfg.
  • dvips35.map — Map file for standard 35 PostScript fonts for use with dvips(1).
  • pdftex35.map — Map file for standard 35 PostScript fonts for use with pdftex(1).
  • ps2pk35.map — Map file for standard 35 PostScript fonts for use with ps2pk(1).

Output files

  • psfonts.map — For dvips(1). Same as psfonts_t1.map if option dvipsPreferOutline active, else as psfonts_pk.map.
  • psfonts_pk.map — For dvips(1). Without information from MixedMap files. (Setting of dvipsPreferOutline ignored.)
  • psfonts_t1.map — For dvips(1). With information from MixedMap files. (Setting of dvipsPreferOutline ignored.)
  • download35.map — For dvips(1). Always downloads the standard 35 fonts. (Setting of dvipsDownloadBase35 ignored.)
  • builtin35.map — For dvips(1). Never downloads the standard 35 fonts. (Setting of dvipsDownloadBase35 ignored.)
  • pdftex.map — For pdftex(1). Same as pdftex_dl14.map if option pdftexDownloadBase14 active, else as pdftex_ndl14.map.
  • pdftex_dl14.map — For pdftex(1). Always downloads the standard 14 fonts.
  • pdftex_ndl14.map — For pdftex(1). Never downloads the standard 14 fonts.
  • ps2pk.map — Similar to psfonts.map file, but forces all fonts to be downloaded, so this map file can be used with xdvi(1) and ps2pk(1).

Configuration files for dvips(1)

  • config.builtin35 — Loads builtin35.map instead of psfonts.map.
  • config.download35 — Loads download35.map instead of psfonts.map.
  • config.outline — Loads psfonts_t1.map instead of psfonts.map.
  • config.pdf — Loads psfonts_t1.map instead of psfonts.map and has additional settings for PDF generation.
  • config.pk — Loads psfonts_pk.map instead of psfonts.map.
  • config.www — Loads psfonts_t1.map instead of psfonts.map. (For compatibility with old versions.)
  • config.gstopk — Loads psfonts_t1.map instead of psfonts.map.

💀 REPORTING BUGS 💀

Found something cursed? Tell the humans. They're nice, I promise. 🫶

And that's the whole page, bestie! 🎉 This one's from TeX Live, dated February 2026, and it's the UPDMAP(1) page — go forth and map your fonts with confidence, no cap 💖✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from