CFF to PCT Converter

Render CFF font data as Macintosh PICT images online for free

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Mac Legacy Format

PCT is the classic Macintosh image format. Converting CFF to PCT creates glyph renderings compatible with vintage Mac applications and archives.

Online Access

No legacy Mac tools needed — run the CFF to PCT conversion from any modern browser on any operating system.

Data Privacy

CFF uploads are deleted immediately after conversion and PCT results are purged within 24 hours, keeping your font data secure.

How to convert CFF to PCT

1

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

2

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

3

Let the file convert and you can download your pct 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
PCT (also known as PICT) is a metafile graphics format originally developed by Apple Computer and introduced alongside the original Macintosh in January 1984. PCT files can contain both vector drawing commands and raster bitmap data, encoded as a sequence of QuickDraw drawing operations — the same graphics primitives used by the Macintosh operating system for all on-screen rendering. The format evolved through two major versions: PICT 1, which recorded basic QuickDraw operations (lines, rectangles, ovals, text, 1-bit bitmaps) in a compact format suitable for the original Macintosh's limited memory, and PICT 2, introduced with Color QuickDraw in 1987, which extended the format to support 24-bit color, multiple color spaces, and embedded JPEG-compressed data. PCT files begin with a 512-byte header (originally used for resource fork information), followed by the picture size, bounding rectangle, and a sequence of opcodes that define the drawing operations. During the Macintosh's commercial ascendancy, PICT was the universal graphics interchange format on Mac OS — the system clipboard used PICT for all graphical copy/paste operations, and most Mac applications could import and export the format. One advantage is the hybrid vector/raster nature: PCT files from the QuickDraw era preserve both scalable drawing commands and pixel data in a single format, enabling resolution-independent output for the vector portions. PICT's historical significance as the native Mac graphics format throughout the classic Mac OS era (1984-2001) provides another dimension. PCT files remain readable by Preview on macOS, ImageMagick, XnView, LibreOffice, and GIMP.
Developer: Apple Computer
Initial release: 1984

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert CFF to PCT?

PICT (PCT) was the native image format on classic Mac OS. Converting CFF to PCT creates images compatible with legacy Macintosh applications and archival systems.

How do I open a PCT file?

macOS Preview opens PCT files. On other platforms, IrfanView, XnView, and GIMP can read PICT format images. LibreOffice also imports PCT.

Is PCT the same as PICT?

Yes — PCT and PICT refer to the same format. PCT is the common file extension, while PICT is the full name of the Macintosh picture format.

Is PCT still relevant?

PCT is primarily a legacy format. It is useful when working with classic Mac archives, older desktop publishing files, or systems that specifically require PICT.

Is this free?

CFF to PCT conversion on Convertio is entirely free and runs in the cloud — no software or registration needed.