TTF to PFB Converter

Convert TrueType fonts to PostScript Type 1 binary format online

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Cross-Technology Bridge

Converts modern TTF quadratic Bezier curves into PostScript Type 1 cubic outlines — bridging TrueType and PostScript font technologies.

Fast Conversion

TTF to PFB processing finishes rapidly on Convertio. Upload your font and the binary PostScript output is ready in moments.

Browser-Only Workflow

No need to install font conversion tools or PostScript utilities — handle the entire TTF to PFB process from your web browser.

How to convert TTF to PFB

1

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

2

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

3

Let the file convert and you can download your pfb 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
PFB (Printer Font Binary) is the compact binary representation of Adobe's PostScript Type 1 font format, introduced alongside PFA in 1984. Where PFA stores the entire font program as hex-encoded ASCII text, PFB wraps the same data in a lightweight binary container that uses segment headers to mark regions as ASCII or binary. The encrypted glyph outline section (eexec) is stored as raw bytes rather than hex characters, cutting the file size roughly in half compared to PFA. Each segment begins with a marker byte and a 32-bit length field, making the format simple to parse while still significantly more compact. PFB became the dominant Type 1 distribution format on Windows and DOS platforms, used in combination with PFM (Printer Font Metrics) or AFM files that supply the character width and kerning data needed for text layout. One advantage is storage and transfer efficiency — the binary encoding means a typical text font occupies 30-50 KB rather than the 60-100 KB its PFA equivalent would require. The segmented structure also allows PostScript interpreters to stream font data efficiently, processing ASCII and binary portions with their respective handlers. Adobe Type Manager (ATM) on Windows relied on PFB files to render smooth Type 1 text on screen, a capability that transformed desktop publishing on the PC platform. While OpenType fonts have largely replaced Type 1 for new work, PFB files persist in established print workflows, archival font libraries, and systems that depend on PostScript output.
Developer: Adobe Systems
Initial release: 1984

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert TTF to PFB?

PFB is the standard Windows Type 1 font format — required by legacy prepress systems, older RIP hardware, and PostScript-based publishing workflows.

What opens PFB font files?

Windows installs PFB fonts natively (with an accompanying PFM or AFM). Adobe apps, TeX distributions, and Ghostscript also handle PFB directly.

Is hinting preserved in PFB?

PFB uses its own Type 1 hinting model. The conversion generates appropriate PostScript hints, though they differ technically from TTF hinting.

Do I need an AFM file along with PFB?

For most layout applications, yes — AFM provides the character widths and kerning data that PFB does not store internally.

Can I convert TTF to PFB for free?

Yes. Convertio provides free TTF to PFB conversion — just upload your font and download the result. No account required.

TTF to PFB Quality Rating

4.6 (175 votes)
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