PFA to G4 Converter

Render PFA fonts as Group 4 fax compressed images online

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Document Standard

Render PFA glyphs with Group 4 compression — the international standard for monochrome document image coding in archival systems.

Better Than G3

Group 4 achieves superior compression compared to Group 3 for the same content — smaller files with identical lossless quality.

Cloud Processing

All rendering and compression runs server-side — produce G4 files without installing document imaging software locally.

How to convert PFA to G4

1

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

2

Choose g4 or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your g4 file right afterwards

About formats

PFA (Printer Font ASCII) is one of two file representations of Adobe's PostScript Type 1 font format, introduced in 1984 as part of the PostScript page description language. A PFA file contains the complete font program as plain ASCII text — the clear-text header with font name, encoding array, and metrics, followed by a hex-encoded encrypted section (eexec) holding the actual glyph outlines described as cubic Bezier curves with stem hints. Because every byte is represented in printable ASCII characters, PFA files are roughly twice the size of their PFB binary counterparts, but they can be transmitted through any text-safe channel and edited in a standard text editor. PFA became the standard Type 1 distribution format on Unix and Linux systems, where binary font formats were less convenient for PostScript printer pipelines. A key advantage is universal text compatibility — PFA files pass cleanly through email systems, FTP text-mode transfers, and version control without corruption from character encoding transformations. The readable structure also benefits font developers, who can inspect header values and encoding declarations directly. Type 1 fonts in PFA form powered the desktop publishing revolution of the late 1980s and 1990s, with Adobe's font library and the Apple LaserWriter printer establishing PostScript typography as the professional standard. Although OpenType has superseded Type 1 for new font development, PFA files remain in active use within legacy publishing workflows and PostScript/PDF production systems.
Developer: Adobe Systems
Initial release: 1984
G4 is a monochrome image format based on the ITU-T Group 4 facsimile coding standard (Recommendation T.6), ratified by the CCITT in 1984 as an improvement over Group 3 for use on error-free digital networks like ISDN rather than analog telephone lines. G4 files contain 1-bit image data compressed using exclusively two-dimensional Modified Modified READ (MMR) coding, where each scanline is encoded as a set of differences (changing elements) relative to the line above it. By eliminating the one-dimensional coding fallback and the end-of-line synchronization markers required by Group 3, G4 achieves 20-50% better compression ratios on typical document pages while producing a simpler, more regular bitstream. The format is most commonly encountered as a compression method within TIFF files (TIFF compression tag 4), where it became the standard archival format for scanned documents in enterprise document management, government records, and legal imaging systems. G4 compression is specified at 200, 300, or 400 dpi depending on the scanning application, with 300 dpi being the most common for archival-quality document imaging. One advantage is exceptional compression efficiency for document content: G4's two-dimensional prediction exploits the strong vertical correlation in text and line art pages, typically compressing a 300 dpi letter-size page to 30-50 KB — roughly half the size of equivalent Group 3 encoding. The format's entrenchment in document management infrastructure is another strength — G4 TIFF is the mandated format for many government digital records systems, court filing systems, and corporate archives, supported by every enterprise imaging platform.
Developer: ITU-T (CCITT)
Initial release: 1984

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PFA to G4?

Group 4 compression is the ITU T.6 standard for lossless monochrome image coding — widely used in document management, archival, and fax systems.

How to open G4?

G4 images open in document imaging software, IrfanView, ImageMagick, and fax server applications. They are often embedded in TIFF containers.

How does G4 differ from G3?

G4 uses two-dimensional coding and achieves better compression ratios than G3. It is the preferred standard for digital document archival.

Is G4 lossless?

Yes — Group 4 compression preserves every pixel perfectly. No quality is lost in the encoding process.

Does the conversion run online?

Yes — entirely cloud-based. No document imaging tools or fax software needed on your machine.