TTF to XPM Converter

Render TrueType font glyphs as X11 color pixmaps online for free

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Color Pixmap Output

XPM renders your TTF glyphs with full color and optional transparency — richer than monochrome XBM for X11 application graphics.

Embeddable Source Code

XPM files are valid C code — your TTF font renders compile directly into X Window applications without external image loading.

Private Font Data

Uploaded TTF fonts are removed from our servers right after conversion. XPM outputs are purged within 24 hours.

How to convert TTF 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

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
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 TTF to XPM?

XPM stores color images as C code — converting TTF produces color glyph pixmaps embeddable in X11 applications, themes, and window managers.

What tools use XPM images?

X11 window managers (Openbox, IceWM), GTK themes, Motif applications, and any software that uses the X pixmap library support XPM.

How does XPM differ from XBM?

XBM is monochrome (1-bit). XPM supports full color with optional transparency — much more versatile for font glyph renders with color.

Can XPM be compiled into C programs?

Yes. Like XBM, XPM files are valid C source — they can be compiled directly into X11 applications for icons and graphics.

Is TTF to XPM conversion free?

Completely free on Convertio. Upload your font, convert to XPM, and download — no charges or sign-up.

TTF to XPM Quality Rating

4.5 (2 votes)
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