CFF to XPM Converter

Render CFF font glyphs as X PixMap color images for X11 online

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Color Pixmaps

XPM delivers color images with transparency as embeddable C source. Converting CFF to XPM creates themed glyph resources for X11 and desktop applications.

Web-Based Tool

No X11 development environment needed — run the CFF to XPM conversion entirely from any browser on any operating system.

Secure Files

CFF uploads are deleted right after conversion and XPM output is removed within 24 hours — your data stays private.

How to convert CFF to XPM

1

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

2

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

3

Let the file convert and you can download your xpm 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
XPM (X PixMap) is a color image format for the X Window System, developed by Arnaud Le Hors at GROUPE BULL beginning in 1989 as the color successor to the monochrome XBM format. Like XBM, XPM files are valid C source code — each file defines the image as a static array of character strings, where the header strings specify width, height, number of colors, and characters per pixel, the color definition strings map character codes to color values (supporting X11 color names, hexadecimal RGB, and symbolic color types like 'background' and 'foreground'), and the pixel strings encode each row as a sequence of character codes that index the color palette. This ASCII art representation makes XPM images human-readable: one can often see the image content directly in the text of the source file. The format went through three revisions: XPM1 (1989, compatible with X10), XPM2 (simplified syntax), and XPM3 (1991, the current version with the static char* syntax and extended color specification). XPM was the standard format for X Window application icons, splash screens, pixmap buttons, and themed UI elements throughout the 1990s and 2000s. One advantage is the combined benefits of being a valid C source file and a color image: XPM files can be compiled into applications, edited in any text editor, processed by text tools, and version-controlled, while supporting up to 256 colors with transparency (using the 'None' color keyword). The X11 ecosystem's reliance on XPM ensures broad tool support. XPM files are handled by all X11 toolkits, ImageMagick, GIMP, and web browsers (legacy support).
Initial release: 1989

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert CFF to XPM?

XPM stores color images as C source code with named palette entries — ideal for X11 application resources, themed icons, and embeddable pixmap data.

How do I open an XPM file?

XPM files are plain text (C header format) — readable in any text editor. GIMP, ImageMagick, and X11 tools display them visually.

How is XPM different from XBM?

XBM is monochrome only. XPM supports full color with named palette entries and optional transparency — a significant upgrade for visual resources.

Does XPM support transparency?

Yes — XPM can designate transparent pixels using a "None" color entry, allowing glyph renderings to float over backgrounds without a bounding rectangle.

Is this free?

Yes — CFF to XPM on Convertio is free and browser-based. No X11 tools or development software needed on your end.