I am guessing you meant to include the curly braces in the second example (f"{3:pad_amount}") The solution is to use another set of them. It’s not obvious that it would work, but it does! f"{3:{pad_amount}}" Answer from jamestwebber on discuss.python.org
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Python.org
discuss.python.org › python help
Allow f-string to dynamically pad spaces - Python Help - Discussions on Python.org
June 27, 2023 - Example: # This works >>> print(f"{3:4}") '3 ' # However this does not work. >>> pad_amount: int = ... >>> print(f"3:pad_amount") ValueError: Unknown format code 'a' for object of type 'int' # I know this is the intended behavior, however the only other way to do this (or if you have better ways to do this please let me know) is using eval()
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Medium
medium.com › @johnidouglasmarangon › padding-f-strings-in-python-977b17edbd36
Padding f-strings in Python
February 18, 2022 - number = 2022 padding = ... octal 3746 >>> hex 7E6 >>> binary 11111100110 ... This is a way to use a set of format strings that will be interpreted together....
Discussions

python - Dynamic padding with period using f-string - Stack Overflow
Given a width n, and an index i, how to generate a string of length n with x at index i, and . at the remaining indices? For example: Input: n = 4, i = 1 Output: ".x.." Currently I'm doi... More on stackoverflow.com
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python - Format string dynamically - Stack Overflow
If I want to make my formatted string dynamically adjustable, I can change the following code from print ' s : s' % ("Python", "Very Good") to width = 20 print ('%' + str(width) + 's : %' + ... More on stackoverflow.com
🌐 stackoverflow.com
July 9, 2017
Using an f-string with multiple parameters (decimal places plus string padding)
f"{x:<5.0f}" should do it. You can't directly chain the colons like you tried. You can actually put entire fstrings inside of other fstrings, but I wouldn't recommend it. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnpython
12
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March 31, 2025
f-string and string right padding is driving me crazy
Your code works for me. >>> header = "foo" >>> endpoint = "bar" >>> ename = f'"{endpoint}"' >>> print(f'{header} {ename:<30}!') foo "bar"                         ! More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnpython
10
10
January 11, 2025
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Peterbe.com
peterbe.com › plog › how-to-pad-fill-string-by-variable-python
How to pad/fill a string by a variable in Python using f-strings - Peterbe.com
January 24, 2020 - I often find myself Googling for this. Always a little bit embarrassed that I can't remember the incantation (syntax). Suppose you have a string mystr that you want to fill with with spaces so it's 10 characters wide:
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › pad-or-fill-a-string-by-a-variable-in-python-using-f-string
Pad or fill a string by a variable in Python using f-string - GeeksforGeeks
January 2, 2025 - In Python, we can pad or fill a string with a variable character to make it a specific length using f-strings.
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ZetCode
zetcode.com › python › fstring
Python f-string - formatting strings in Python with f-string
May 11, 2025 - Padding with zeros ensures numbers line up in columns, while grouping digits with commas improves readability for large values. The colon (:) inside the curly braces lets you specify these formatting options directly in the f-string. F-strings can evaluate any valid Python expression inside ...
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Bomberbot
bomberbot.com › python › mastering-string-padding-in-python-the-art-of-f-strings
Mastering String Padding in Python: The Art of F-Strings - Bomberbot
This function demonstrates how f-strings can be used to create dynamic, customizable headers, adapting to different content and styling requirements on the fly. F-strings excel at formatting numbers, offering precise control over decimal places and padding:
Find elsewhere
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CoenRaets
jsonviewer.ai › python-f-string-padding
Python f String Padding[Complete Guide with Examples] - JSON Viewer
July 5, 2023 - Normally, empty spaces are added ... of zeros. You can specify padding in an f-string by using the characters “>” and “<” specify the direction of the padding, and a number to specify the width of the padded value....
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TheLinuxCode
thelinuxcode.com › home › pad or fill a string by a variable in python using f-strings (dynamic fill + dynamic width)
Pad or Fill a String by a Variable in Python Using f-Strings (Dynamic Fill + Dynamic Width) – TheLinuxCode
January 30, 2026 - That means len(text) is bigger, your formatting thinks the field is full, and the visible text ends up too short.\n\nIn practice, for colored CLI tables, I either:\n\n- Avoid padding the colored string directly (pad first, then wrap with color), or\n- Use a CLI rendering library that handles ANSI-aware width measurement.\n\nHere’s the pad-first idea in plain Python:\n\n GREEN = "\x1b[32m"\n RESET = "\x1b[0m"\n\n status = "OK"\n padded = f"{status:<8}"\n colored = f"{GREEN}{padded}{RESET}"\n print(colored + "message")\n\nIf you colorize first and then pad, you’ll almost certainly get misalignment.\n\n## Practical recipes (copy/paste friendly)\n\nThese are the patterns I end up using over and over.\n\n### Recipe: dotted leaders (“name ….
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › add-padding-to-a-string-in-python
Add padding to a string in Python - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - The :> specifier right-aligns the string, and 10 determines the total width. textwrap module provides advanced formatting features and can be used for padding in more complex scenarios.
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Real Python
realpython.com › how-to-python-f-string-format-float
How to Format Floats Within F-Strings in Python – Real Python
March 18, 2026 - When you use .format(), it’s also possible to define the format specifier dynamically at runtime. Suppose you have several words that you want to pad out to a width of four characters greater than their length. The code below shows you how to achieve this: ... >>> text = "Python is cool" >>> padded_words = [ ...
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sqlpey
sqlpey.com › python › python-string-padding-methods
Python String Padding: Methods for Left Justification and Formatting
October 29, 2025 - # Solution 3: Dynamic Formatting Parameters message_content = 'Hi' alignment_width = 16 padding_char = ' ' alignment_specifier = '<' # Constructing the format string dynamically dynamic_format = '{message:{fill}{align}{width}}' result = dynamic_format.format( message=message_content, fill=padding_char, align=alignment_specifier, width=alignment_width, ) print(f"'{result}'") # Output: 'Hi ' This dynamic construction is also fully supported within f-strings: # Solution 3 Alternative: Dynamic F-Strings message = 'Hi' fill = ' ' align = '<' width = 16 f_result = f'{message:{fill}{align}{width}}' print(f_result) # Output: 'Hi ' While the focus is on left justification, Python offers tools for other alignments, often useful when combining different padded elements: str.rjust() (right justification) and str.center() (center justification).
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › f-string and string right padding is driving me crazy
r/learnpython on Reddit: f-string and string right padding is driving me crazy
January 11, 2025 -

I know this is dumb, but something is strange. Everything works from the python3 interpreter but in my code it doesn't work. All I want is a string to be padded to the right.

This doesn't work

            ename = f'"{endpoint}"'
            print(f'{header} {ename:<30}!') 

I always get a single space before the ! I expect to get this (which I get in the interactive mode)

HEADER ENAME....................!

(note: I put dots there to make the spaces clear, they should be spaces!)

But I get

HEADER ENAME.!

If I change it to this, it works

ename = f'"{endpoint}"'
print(f'{header} {ename:!<30}!')

But the padding is ! marks. (which was a test). If I change the ! to a space, that doesn't work.

Clearly I'm being dumb and missing something important. What an I missing? Thanks.

UPDATE: Appears to be caused by some post processing after python runs. Not sure what it is, but I don't believe it's python at the moment. Strange indeed!

UPDATE2: Well, I'm dumb. Problem was that this ultimately went through an HTML renderer and that would remove multiple spaces (exactly as it should). So 100% not a python issue. Thanks to all.

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LernerPython
lernerpython.com › home › lernerpython blog › python f-string format specifiers: aligning and padding text
Python f-string format specifiers: Aligning and padding text - LernerPython
April 29, 2026 - Use in f-string format specifiers, with a width integer and a custom fill character, to left-align, center or right-align and pad text.
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Real Python
realpython.com › python-f-strings
Python's F-String for String Interpolation and Formatting – Real Python
November 30, 2024 - An f-string in Python is a string ... {}. To include dynamic content in an f-string, place your expression or variable inside the braces to interpolate its value into the string....