PFA to SUN Converter

Render PFA font glyphs as Sun icon images online

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Sun Platform Native

Produce SUN raster images from PFA fonts — the format Solaris and SunOS systems handle without any additional libraries.

Online Only

No Unix workstation required to create SUN images. The conversion runs in any browser on any operating system.

Secure Handling

Uploaded PFA files are deleted right after processing, and SUN outputs are removed within 24 hours.

How to convert PFA to SUN

1

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

2

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

3

Let the file convert and you can download your sun 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 Although OpenType has superseded Type 1 for new font development, PFA files remain in active use within legacy publishing workflows and PostScript/PDF production systems.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
SUN is a raster image format associated with Sun Microsystems workstations, encompassing both the Sun Raster format (.ras) and the Sun Icon format used for window system icons and cursors on SunOS and Solaris systems. Sun Raster files, identifiable by their 0x59a66a95 magic number, store bitmap images in 1-bit monochrome, 8-bit indexed color, 24-bit BGR, or 32-bit XBGR modes, with optional run-length encoding compression and a 32-byte header. The Sun Icon subset is a simpler text-based format used for small monochrome bitmaps — window icons, cursor images, and toolbar graphics — stored as C-language data arrays that could be directly compiled into X Window and SunView applications. These icon files begin with a comment block specifying width, height, and optionally hot spot coordinates (for cursor images), followed by hexadecimal pixel values in a format readable by both the C compiler and the iconedit tool. Sun workstations running SunOS and later Solaris were foundational platforms for Unix computing, networking, and the early internet, and the SUN image formats were integral to their graphical environments. One advantage is the format's dual text/binary nature: Sun Icons are valid C source code that can be #included directly into applications, a practical approach to resource embedding that predates modern asset management systems. The Sun Raster variant's simplicity provides another strength — the 32-byte header and straightforward encoding make it one of the easiest binary image formats to parse. SUN format files are supported by ImageMagick, GIMP, XnView, and Unix image viewing tools.
Developer: Sun Microsystems
Initial release: 1982

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PFA to SUN?

SUN raster images are native to Sun Microsystems platforms — converting PFA to SUN provides font images compatible with Solaris and SunOS systems.

How to open SUN?

SUN files are recognized by Solaris and SunOS natively, plus GIMP, ImageMagick, and XnView on other platforms.

Is SUN the same as RAS?

SUN and RAS both refer to Sun Microsystems raster format — they share the same file structure and capabilities, just different naming conventions.

Does SUN work on Linux?

Yes. Linux image tools like GIMP and ImageMagick fully support Sun raster images for viewing and conversion.

Is the service free?

Yes — Convertio converts PFA to SUN at no charge, entirely in your browser with no software needed.