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Supported Formats
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Desktop Fonts
TrueType Font - universal desktop font format developed by Apple and Microsoft in the 1980s. Uses quadratic Bézier curves for glyph outlines. Excellent screen rendering with hinting technology. Works on all platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux). Supports Unicode with up to 65,536 glyphs. Standard desktop font format with maximum compatibility. Perfect for document embedding, desktop publishing, and cross-platform typography. Universal support in all operating systems and applications. Reliable choice for general-purpose font usage.
OpenType Font - modern font format jointly developed by Adobe and Microsoft (1996) extending TrueType. Uses cubic Bézier curves (PostScript outlines) allowing more complex glyph shapes. Supports advanced typography features (ligatures, alternate glyphs, contextual substitutions). Can contain up to 65,536 glyphs enabling comprehensive language support. Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, Mac, Linux). Industry standard for professional typography and multilingual documents. Perfect for print design, branding, and high-quality typography. Superior to TTF for complex scripts and advanced typographic features.
Mac Data Fork Font - legacy Macintosh font format storing TrueType/PostScript data in data fork. Used in Mac OS 9 and earlier. Phased out with Mac OS X transition to .ttf and .otf. Contains complete font data in single file (unlike resource fork fonts). Limited compatibility with modern systems. Convert to TTF or OTF for current macOS and cross-platform use. Historical format important for accessing old Mac fonts. Mainly encountered when migrating legacy Mac systems.
Compact Font Format - Adobe's space-efficient font outline format used within OpenType fonts. Stores glyph outlines using PostScript-based charstrings. More compact than TrueType outlines. Used in OTF fonts with PostScript outlines. Not standalone font file - embedded in OTF. Professional typography standard. Better compression than TTF outlines. Extract from OTF or work with complete OTF fonts.
CID-Keyed Font - Adobe font format for large character sets (Asian languages with thousands of characters). Character ID based system for efficient large font handling. Used in professional CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) typography. Complex format requiring PostScript RIP support. Legacy format superseded by Unicode OpenType. Convert to modern OTF with Unicode mapping for compatibility. Important for accessing legacy Asian language fonts.
Spline Font Database - FontForge's native font format. Editable font source format storing complete font data including editing information. ASCII or binary format with full font metadata. Used in font design and development. Convert to TTF/OTF for deployable fonts. Perfect for font design workflow. Maintains complete font development history. FontForge is free open-source font editor.
Unified Font Object - open source font source format (XML-based directory structure). Developed by font tool creators for interoperability. Stores complete font design data in human-readable XML. Used by modern font editors (RoboFont, Glyphs, FontForge). Perfect for font development and version control. Industry standard for open font source files. Compile to TTF/OTF for distribution. Excellent for collaborative font design.
Web Formats
Web Open Font Format - font format specifically designed for web use (2009). Compressed TrueType/OpenType fonts reducing file size by ~40%. Supported by 99% of browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). Includes metadata for licensing and font information. Perfect for website typography ensuring consistent rendering across devices. Industry standard for web fonts. Faster page loads than raw TTF/OTF. Essential for modern web design and custom typography. Recommended for broad web compatibility.
WOFF 2.0 - improved web font format (2014) with better compression using Brotli algorithm. 30% smaller than WOFF with faster decompression. Supported by all modern browsers (96%+ global coverage). Maintains WOFF's metadata and licensing features. Superior performance for web typography. Recommended format for modern websites. Falls back to WOFF for older browsers. Essential for optimizing website performance and reducing bandwidth. Default choice for contemporary web development.
Embedded OpenType - proprietary web font format developed by Microsoft for Internet Explorer. Compressed and subset fonts with DRM protection. Only supported by Internet Explorer (legacy browser). Obsolete format replaced by WOFF/WOFF2. Historically important for web fonts (1997-2010s). Still encountered in legacy websites. Not recommended for new projects. Convert to WOFF2/WOFF for modern browsers. Maintained only for backward compatibility with old IE versions.
SVG Font - vector-based font format embedded in SVG files. Defines glyphs as SVG paths allowing colors, gradients, and effects. Deprecated for web use in favor of WOFF. Limited browser support (only Safari supports SVG fonts). Larger file sizes than outline fonts. Mainly historical format. Useful for special effects and colored fonts. Modern alternative: OpenType-SVG. Not recommended for general use. Better options: WOFF2 with icon fonts or OpenType color fonts.
Specialized Formats
PostScript Font Binary - Adobe Type 1 binary format for professional printing (1984). Contains glyph outlines in PostScript language. Excellent print quality with precise curves. Requires corresponding PFM or AFM metrics file. Standard in professional publishing and printing industry. Limited to 256 glyphs (single-byte encoding). Being replaced by OpenType. Still used in legacy publishing workflows. Convert to OTF for modern compatibility while preserving PostScript quality.
PostScript Font ASCII - Adobe Type 1 ASCII variant of PFB format. Human-readable PostScript code defining font outlines. Used for font development and debugging. Less efficient than PFB binary format. Requires PFM or AFM metrics file. Same quality as PFB for printing. Legacy format for professional typography. Convert to OTF for modern systems. Primarily historical significance in desktop publishing evolution.
Printer Font Metrics - Windows metrics file for Type 1 PostScript fonts. Contains font measurements (character widths, kerning pairs, bounding boxes). Required companion to PFB/PFA for proper rendering on Windows. Text file format with font metrics data. Does not contain glyph outlines. Legacy format from Windows 3.1/95 era. Used with PFB for complete Type 1 font installation. Modern OpenType fonts include metrics internally. Convert Type 1 fonts to OTF to consolidate metrics and outlines.
Adobe Font Metrics - Adobe's metrics format for Type 1 PostScript fonts. Contains character widths, kerning pairs, ligatures, and bounding boxes. ASCII text format readable by humans and applications. Companion to PFB/PFA outline files. Used by font design tools and professional publishing software. Essential for proper font spacing and kerning. Legacy format with historical importance in digital typography. Modern fonts embed metrics in OTF format. Convert to OpenType for integrated metrics and outlines.
Binary Font File - generic binary font data format used by various font tools and editors. Contains raw font outline data without specific format wrapper. Used in font development and conversion pipelines. Requires specific tools to process. Not a standard end-user format. Intermediate format in font creation workflow. Convert to TTF or OTF for usable fonts. Primarily relevant in font design and development contexts.
Mac Suitcase Font - legacy Macintosh font container (Mac OS Classic) storing multiple fonts in one file. Contains TrueType or PostScript fonts in resource fork. Used with Font Suitcase format (.suit extension). Obsolete with Mac OS X migration. Poor compatibility with modern systems. Required Font/DA Mover for installation on old Macs. Extract individual fonts and convert to TTF/OTF for modern use. Important for recovering fonts from classic Mac archives and systems.
PostScript Font Program - Adobe PostScript Type 1 font in PostScript language format. Contains font outlines as PostScript code. Used for printer font downloads and font development. Human-readable but inefficient. Legacy format from desktop publishing era. Convert to OTF for modern usage. Historical importance in professional typography. Mainly encountered in old publishing workflows.
PageMaker 3 Font - legacy font format from Aldus PageMaker 3.0 (1980s desktop publishing). Proprietary format specific to early PageMaker versions. Obsolete format with no modern support. Important only for recovering old PageMaker documents. Convert to TTF/OTF if font data recoverable. Historical artifact from desktop publishing evolution. Better alternatives available for all uses.
Type 11 Font - variant of PostScript CID-Keyed font format. Used for complex fonts with large character sets. Legacy format for Asian language fonts. Limited modern support. Convert to Unicode OpenType for compatibility. Historical format in CJK font development. Modern alternatives handle large character sets better with Unicode.
Type 42 Font - PostScript font format wrapping TrueType outlines. Hybrid format combining PostScript wrapper with TrueType data. Used for downloading TrueType fonts to PostScript printers. Primarily printer-internal format. Limited end-user relevance. Convert underlying TrueType to TTF/OTF. Historical bridge between TrueType and PostScript worlds.
How to Convert Files
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PFM file and why does it accompany Type 1 fonts on Windows?
A PFM file contains the Windows-specific metric data required to measure and display PostScript Type 1 fonts.
It stores width tables, kerning pairs, and font properties that Windows GDI cannot extract from PFB alone.
Together, PFB and PFM provide a complete Type 1 font installation in Windows environments.
Why do PFM files differ from AFM files even though both store metrics?
AFM files use a text-based structure preferred by Adobe and UNIX platforms, while PFM files are binary and optimized for Windows.
PFM focuses on runtime efficiency for GDI, whereas AFM aims for human readability and cross-platform compatibility.
Because of these differences, converting between AFM and PFM often requires specialized tools.
Why can’t Windows render a Type 1 font if the PFM file is missing?
Windows relies on PFM data to calculate glyph positioning and spacing.
Without metrics, the system cannot determine character widths or apply kerning rules.
As a result, the font appears incomplete and cannot be loaded by applications.
Why is the PFM file typically smaller than the PFB file?
PFM stores only metrics and font attributes, not glyph outlines.
The binary structure compresses these values efficiently without descriptive metadata.
This makes PFM lightweight compared to the outline-heavy PFB file.
Why were PFM files essential before Windows gained native OpenType support?
Early Windows versions lacked the ability to interpret Adobe Type 1 outline data directly.
PFM files supplied the missing measurements needed by the system’s rasterizer.
They ensured reliable behavior in desktop publishing software like CorelDRAW and early Adobe apps.
Why do Type 1 font installers often generate PFM files automatically?
Foundries typically shipped AFM files, but Windows required a binary variant.
Installation utilities converted AFM data into PFM format for compatibility.
This workflow allowed Type 1 fonts to function across both Windows and UNIX environments.
Why are kerning pairs stored differently in PFM than in AFM?
PFM encoding compresses kerning tables into binary structures optimized for rapid lookup in GDI.
AFM files use verbose text listings more suitable for human inspection and editing.
The two formats reflect the contrasting priorities of their respective platforms.
Why do some PFM files reference internal style flags not found in AFM files?
Windows uses system-level attributes such as weight classifications and pitch information.
These attributes are required for integration with GDI and the legacy font chooser dialog.
AFM files focus strictly on typographic measurements, omitting OS-specific flags.
Why can PFM corruption cause incorrect spacing or misaligned text?
A damaged width table prevents accurate character placement.
Invalid kerning data can lead to overlapping letters or abnormal spacing.
Because PFM is binary, even minor corruption can disrupt entire paragraphs of text.
Why do many conversion tools require both PFB and PFM to reconstruct a complete Type 1 font?
PFB provides outlines but lacks essential layout metrics.
PFM supplies measurements that cannot be reliably inferred from outlines alone.
Combining both ensures precise reproduction when migrating to formats like OpenType.
Why were PFM files optimized for low-memory environments?
Early versions of Windows operated under tight memory constraints.
Binary metric tables reduced RAM usage during real-time rendering.
This made Type 1 fonts viable on hardware with limited resources.
Why do archival workflows keep PFM files even when AFM files exist?
PFM preserves the exact metrics used by Windows-based publications.
Removing it may alter line breaks or spacing when documents are reopened decades later.
For historical accuracy, both metric formats are often retained.
Why do some modern font managers still recognize PFM files?
They maintain backward compatibility for organizations that continue using legacy Type 1 libraries.
Many old design files depend on metrics that only exist in PFM format.
Support ensures smooth transitions when updating old projects.
Why does converting PFM metrics to OpenType sometimes produce slight spacing variations?
OpenType uses different table structures to represent kerning and widths.
Mapping binary PFM values into OpenType requires interpretation rather than direct copying.
This can introduce small differences in layout that may require manual tuning.
Why is PFM considered a legacy format despite its historical importance?
It depends on a font architecture (Type 1) that modern operating systems no longer support natively.
OpenType consolidates metrics and outlines into a single file, making separate PFM data unnecessary.
Today, PFM remains relevant only for maintaining older documents and print systems.