CFF to DFONT Converter

Repackage CFF fonts into macOS DFONT resource format online

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Mac-Native Format

DFONT is the standard resource-fork font format on macOS. Converting CFF to DFONT creates a font file that integrates seamlessly with Apple font workflows.

Instant Processing

Conversion runs on fast cloud servers and finishes in moments, even for CFF fonts containing large glyph sets or complex outline data.

Privacy Protected

Your uploaded CFF fonts are deleted immediately after conversion and DFONT results are purged within 24 hours — complete data privacy guaranteed.

How to convert CFF to DFONT

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

CFF (Compact Font Format) is a font outline format developed by Adobe Systems around 1996 as a more efficient successor to the Type 1 font representation. CFF uses Type 2 charstrings — an optimized encoding that supports multiple arguments per operator, default value elision, and shared subroutines — to describe the same cubic Bezier glyph outlines as Type 1 but with substantially less storage. A typical CFF font is 20-50% smaller than its Type 1 equivalent. The format can function as a standalone font file or, more commonly, as the outline data table inside an OpenType font container (the CFF table in OTF files with PostScript outlines). CFF supports multiple fonts within a single file through its FontSet structure, sharing global subroutines across the collection to further reduce size. One advantage is compression efficiency without lossy degradation — every control point and hint is preserved exactly, just encoded more compactly. The format also inherits the full hinting capability of Type 1, including stem hints, counter hints, and alignment zones that ensure crisp rendering on low-resolution screens and printers. CFF2, an evolution introduced with OpenType 1.8, adds support for font variations (variable fonts) by allowing interpolation across multiple design axes. Broad support in PDF viewers, web browsers via OpenType, and professional design software makes CFF one of the most widely deployed outline formats in digital typography.
Developer: Adobe Systems
Initial release: 1996
DFONT (Data Fork TrueType) is a font file format introduced by Apple with Mac OS X 10.0 in March 2001, created to solve a fundamental compatibility problem in the transition from classic Mac OS to the Unix-based OS X architecture. Classic Mac fonts stored glyph data in the resource fork — a secondary file stream specific to the HFS file system — but OS X's Unix foundation and its use of UFS had no native resource fork support. DFONT relocates the entire resource fork structure into the data fork, wrapping the same TrueType font tables in a resource map that standard OS X typography APIs can read. The file is essentially a resource-fork-less TrueType suitcase. Apple bundled DFONT as the default format for system fonts shipped with OS X, and it remains present in macOS system directories. One advantage is seamless backward compatibility with Apple's existing font rendering stack — the internal structure mirrors classic resource-fork fonts, so CoreText and its predecessors handle DFONTs without any special conversion path. The single-fork design is another practical strength, ensuring that DFONT files survive intact when stored on non-HFS volumes, transferred over networks, or managed by version control systems. While Apple has increasingly moved toward OpenType (.otf/.ttc) for newer system fonts, DFONT files continue to appear in macOS installations and in font collections originating from the OS X era.
Developer: Apple Computer
Initial release: 2001

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert CFF to DFONT?

DFONT is a macOS-native font suitcase format. Converting CFF to DFONT makes your PostScript outlines directly installable in the macOS font management system.

How do I open a DFONT file?

On macOS, double-click the DFONT file to open it in Font Book for preview and installation. Third-party font managers like FontExplorer X also support DFONT.

Does DFONT work on Windows?

DFONT is specific to macOS and is not natively supported on Windows. If you need cross-platform compatibility, consider TTF or OTF as the target format instead.

Are glyph outlines preserved?

Yes — the conversion repackages the CFF font data into the DFONT container without altering the underlying PostScript outlines or their visual quality.

Is CFF to DFONT free on Convertio?

Completely free — upload, convert, and download your DFONT file all from your browser without any cost or software installation.