TTF to PCT Converter

Render TrueType fonts as Apple PICT/PCT images online for free

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Classic Mac Compatible

PCT images from your TTF font work with classic Mac applications and QuickDraw-based software — essential for retro Mac archival work.

Online Processing

No need to boot a classic Mac — Convertio renders your TTF to PCT on our servers. Works from any modern browser and OS.

Immediate Results

TTF to PCT conversion completes in moments. Your Apple PICT image is ready for download almost as soon as you click Convert.

How to convert TTF 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

TTF (TrueType Font) is a scalable outline font format developed by Apple Computer in the late 1980s and first shipped with Mac System 7 on May 13, 1991. Microsoft licensed the technology shortly after and included TrueType support in Windows 3.1 in 1992, establishing it as the dominant desktop font technology for over a decade. TrueType describes glyph shapes using quadratic Bezier splines — simpler mathematically than the cubic Bezier curves in PostScript fonts — stored alongside a powerful instruction set (the "hinting" language) that controls exactly how outlines are rasterized at each pixel size. This instruction-based hinting gives type designers pixel-level control over rendering at small sizes on low-resolution screens, producing exceptionally crisp text. The format stores all font data — outlines, metrics, kerning, naming, and hinting — in a single file organized as a directory of tagged data tables. One advantage is universal platform support: TTF files render natively on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and virtually every operating system and web browser without conversion or plugins. The byte-code hinting system is another distinctive strength, enabling screen rendering quality that remained superior to competing technologies until high-DPI displays reduced the importance of pixel-level optimization. TrueType's table-based architecture also proved remarkably extensible, serving as the structural foundation for the OpenType specification that added advanced typographic features and PostScript outline support on top of the TrueType container.
Developer: Apple Computer
Initial release: May 13, 1991
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 TTF to PCT?

PCT (PICT) was the standard image format on classic Mac OS — useful when you need font specimen images compatible with vintage Mac applications or archives.

What software opens PCT files?

macOS Preview, Adobe Photoshop (older versions), XnView, IrfanView, and classic Mac applications handle the PICT/PCT format.

Is PCT still used on modern Macs?

PCT is a legacy format. Modern macOS can still open them, but PNG or TIFF are preferred for current workflows. PCT is mainly for archival use.

Can I convert many fonts at once?

Yes — batch upload multiple TTF fonts on Convertio and receive separate PCT images for each.

Is this free on Convertio?

Totally free. Upload your TTF font and download the PCT result — no payment or sign-up needed.