BIN to SFD Converter

Turn MacBinary fonts into editable FontForge sources

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Full Editability

SFD is the native source format for FontForge. Converting BIN to SFD gives you complete control over every glyph and metric value.

Any Device Works

Convertio runs in the browser on any platform. Convert your BIN font to SFD from a desktop, laptop, or even a mobile device.

Secure Transfers

Uploaded BIN fonts are deleted right after conversion completes. SFD files are automatically removed from servers within 24 hours.

How to convert BIN to SFD

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose sfd or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your sfd file right afterwards

About formats

BIN refers to MacBinary-encoded font files, a transfer format that preserves classic Macintosh file system features when moving data across platforms. Classic Mac OS stored fonts using the resource fork — a secondary data stream invisible to non-Mac systems — which meant that simply copying a Mac font to a Windows PC or Unix server would strip the actual font data entirely. MacBinary solves this by combining both the data fork and resource fork into a single flat file with a 128-byte header containing the original HFS metadata. In the font context, BIN files typically wrap TrueType suitcase fonts, PostScript Type 1 LWFN outline files, or bitmap NFNT font resources. The format was first specified in 1985 by Dennis Brothers and collaborators from the early Mac community, with MacBinary II following around 1987 and MacBinary III arriving in 1996 to support longer filenames. A key advantage is lossless preservation: every byte of the original Mac font file survives intact through email, FTP, or cross-platform file sharing, including creator and type codes that identify the font format. The single-file packaging is another practical strength — rather than dealing with separate data and resource streams, users and automated systems handle one portable container. Although modern macOS has moved away from resource forks and Mac fonts now typically ship as OTF, TTF, or DFONT files, BIN remains important for accessing archived font collections from the classic Mac era.
Developer: Dennis Brothers
Initial release: 1985
SFD (SplineFont Database) is the native source file format of FontForge, the free and open-source font editor originally created by George Williams in 2000 under the name PfaEdit. The format stores a complete font project — glyph outlines (cubic and quadratic splines), advance widths, side bearings, hinting instructions, kerning and OpenType feature tables, naming records, and metadata — in a single human-readable text file. Each glyph is described by its Unicode code point, outline coordinates, reference composites, and anchors, making the entire font design inspectable and diffable with standard text tools. SFD functions as the editable working format during font development, from which finished fonts are compiled to binary formats like OTF, TTF, or WOFF. A primary advantage is version control friendliness — because SFD is plain text, font designers can track changes to individual glyphs, merge contributions from collaborators, and maintain full revision history using Git or any other VCS. The format's completeness is another strength: it preserves every piece of data that FontForge can represent, including TrueType instructions, contextual substitution lookups, and multiple master axes, avoiding round-trip data loss during editing. The SFD specification is publicly documented and has evolved through several versions. FontForge's widespread adoption in the open-source type design community means SFD serves as the source format for hundreds of freely licensed font families distributed worldwide.
Developer: George Williams
Initial release: November 7, 2000

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert BIN to SFD?

SFD is FontForge native format — converting from BIN lets you edit every glyph, adjust metrics, and rebuild your font from scratch.

How to open SFD files?

SFD files are designed for FontForge, the open-source font editor available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Just use File > Open.

Can I export SFD to other formats later?

Absolutely. FontForge can export SFD to TTF, OTF, WOFF, and many other formats once you are done editing your font.

Is the glyph data preserved fully?

Yes — the conversion captures all outlines, bearings, and kerning data from the BIN font into the SFD project structure.

Is registration required?

No account needed. Open Convertio in your browser, upload the BIN file, select SFD, and convert. It is that straightforward.