OTF to XPM Converter

Render OpenType font glyphs as X11 pixmap images online for free

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Color X11 Pixmaps

XPM gives you full-color glyph images from OTF fonts in a format native to X Window System — perfect for desktop themes and UI graphics.

Embeddable Code

XPM stores images as C source arrays. OTF glyph pixmaps can be compiled directly into X11 applications without external image loading.

Privacy Guaranteed

Uploaded fonts are deleted after conversion. XPM results are removed from servers within 24 hours — your font data stays confidential.

How to convert OTF 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

OTF (OpenType Font) is a scalable font format jointly developed by Microsoft and Adobe, announced in 1996 and later standardized as ISO/IEC 14496-22. OpenType unifies TrueType and PostScript font technologies under a single container — OTF files with PostScript outlines use CFF/CFF2 tables for cubic Bezier curves, while those with TrueType outlines use quadratic splines in glyf tables (these typically carry the .ttf extension despite being OpenType). The format supports up to 65,535 glyphs per font, enabling comprehensive coverage of Unicode's vast character repertoire including Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, CJK, and mathematical symbols within one file. Advanced typographic features are encoded in GSUB (glyph substitution) and GPOS (glyph positioning) tables, powering contextual alternates, ligatures, small caps, stylistic sets, and complex script shaping. A defining advantage is cross-platform consistency — the same OTF file renders identically on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android without platform-specific builds. The rich OpenType Layout feature system is another major strength, giving designers fine-grained typographic control that was previously impossible in a single font file. OpenType 1.8 introduced variable font technology, allowing continuous interpolation across weight, width, slant, and custom design axes within a single compact file. Universal support in web browsers, design applications, office suites, and operating systems makes OTF the dominant professional font format in modern digital typography.
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 OTF to XPM?

XPM is the color pixmap format for X11 systems. Converting OTF creates glyph images for Linux/Unix desktop themes, icons, and application graphics.

How do I open an XPM file?

XPM files open in GIMP, X11 viewers, and text editors — like XBM, XPM stores image data as C source code but with full color support.

How does XPM differ from XBM?

XBM is monochrome (1-bit). XPM extends this to full color with named palette entries, supporting richer graphical representations of your glyphs.

Can I convert several OTF fonts?

Yes — batch upload OTF files and Convertio creates a separate XPM image for each, all processed in one go.

Is this free?

OTF to XPM conversion is completely free on Convertio. No Linux desktop or X11 environment required — just any web browser.