fonttosfnt

fonttosfnt [options] font ...

-o outfile
    Specify the output filename for the converted font or font collection.

-c
    Create a TrueType Collection (TTC) from the input fonts. When this option is used, all input fonts are combined into a single .ttc file.

-g mapfile
    Use the specified glyph name mapping file for conversion. This allows custom mapping of PostScript glyph names to Unicode code points.

-v
    Enable verbose output, showing more details about the conversion process.

-h
    Display a help message and exit, showing available options and usage.

-V
    Display version information of the fonttosfnt utility and exit.

fonttosfnt is a command-line utility designed to convert PostScript Type 1 font files (both ASCII-encoded PFA and binary-encoded PFB) into the Scalable Font Format (SFNT), which primarily encompasses TrueType and OpenType fonts. This tool is part of the X.Org font utilities and is crucial for environments that require fonts in the SFNT format but only have them available in PostScript Type 1. It can create individual TrueType/OpenType files or consolidate multiple fonts into a single TrueType/OpenType Collection (TTC) file, which is useful for bundling font families. The conversion process involves embedding PostScript outlines within the SFNT wrapper, allowing them to be rendered by TrueType/OpenType compatible renderers. It's particularly useful in X Window System environments for preparing fonts for display and ensuring broader compatibility.

This utility primarily converts PostScript Type 1 outlines into an SFNT wrapper. While it enables use of these fonts in TrueType/OpenType environments, it may not support the full range of advanced OpenType features beyond basic outline embedding. Glyph mapping, especially for non-standard encodings or very specific typographic requirements, might require careful configuration using a -g map file.

The command takes PostScript Type 1 font files, either ASCII PFA (.pfa) or binary PFB (.pfb), as input. It outputs them as TrueType (.ttf), OpenType (.otf), or TrueType Collection (.ttc) files, effectively embedding the PostScript outlines within the SFNT wrapper for compatibility with modern font rendering engines.

fonttosfnt is an integral part of the X.Org font infrastructure, enabling the use of a wider range of fonts within the X Window System. After conversion, the generated SFNT files can be placed in standard X font paths. To make these fonts available to applications, utilities like mkfontscale and mkfontdir are typically run in the font directory to generate font index files (fonts.scale and fonts.dir).

Part of the X.Org font utilities, fonttosfnt emerged to bridge the gap between widely available PostScript Type 1 fonts and the growing adoption of SFNT formats like TrueType and OpenType within the X Window System. Its development reflects the need for X servers and applications to render fonts efficiently using a unified font subsystem, integrating older PostScript outlines into modern scalable font architectures. It has been a stable component within the X.Org ecosystem for preparing fonts for display.

mkfontscale(1), mkfontdir(1), xset(1)