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Naming table (OpenType 1.9.1) - Typography - Microsoft Learn

As of 2025, Microsoft is testing in Windows Insider builds. Version 8.00 will introduce variable font axes (allowing a smooth interpolation between Normal and Bold, though the "Normal" instance remains the default). It will also finally merge the -western- , -cyrillic- , and -greek- subsets into a single, massive file (over 3,500 glyphs). However, for the foreseeable future, Version 7.00 -western- remains the most widely deployed, stable, and battle-tested iteration of Arial in existence.

This format works seamlessly across Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it ideal for cross-platform document sharing.

This identifies the core font family and its weight. "Normal" (often interchangeable with Regular) denotes the standard book weight, optimized for body text.

: Latin 2 (1250), Windows Baltic (1257), and Turkish (1254). Cyrillic/Greek : Russian, Bulgarian, and Greek (1253). Middle East : Arabic (1256) and Hebrew (1255). Asian Support : Note that standard Arial does

: Standard legal distribution of Arial occurs through Microsoft Typography Services or native OS installations. Copying raw system font files between differing OS builds (e.g., extracting arial.ttf from an older Windows environment to a new layout folder) can manually restore the exact archive version if strict cross-compatibility is required.

To understand this specific font file, we must break down its technical designation item by item. Arial Normal

The Ghost in the Machine: Unpacking "Arial Normal OpenType TrueType Version 7.00 - Western"