pfbtopfa

pfbtopfa [font.pfa]

    The input PostScript font file in PFB format.

[font.pfa]
    Optional. The output file name for the converted font in PFA format. If not specified, output is written to standard output.

pfbtopfa is a utility that converts PostScript Type 1 fonts stored in the PFB (Printer Font Binary) format to the PFA (Printer Font ASCII) format.

PFB is a binary format primarily used on Windows and other systems where binary file handling is straightforward, while PFA is a text-based format that is often preferred for cross-platform compatibility and ease of inspection. This command essentially extracts the embedded font data from the PFB container and re-encodes it in a plain ASCII representation. This conversion can be useful for manipulating font data, embedding fonts in documents where ASCII encoding is required, or for archival purposes. The resulting PFA file will be readable as a plain text file, and should be able to be converted back into PFB using other tools such as `pfaedit`.

It's part of the fontforge package, or others that handle postscript fonts. The converted font is typically used in contexts where a plain text font representation is preferred or required. It's useful for archival and editing. Note: fontforge must be installed to use this command.

If the output file is not specified, the converted font data will be written to standard output. Be careful when redirecting output to a file; ensure the file does not already exist or contain important data. Requires the fontforge package or a similar toolset to be installed.

If you do not specify an output filename, the PFA representation of the font will be printed to standard output. You can then redirect it to a file using `pfbtopfa > font.pfa`.

The pfbtopfa utility has been around for a considerable time, evolving alongside the development of PostScript font technologies. It's traditionally been provided within toolsets aimed at font editing and management, serving the purpose of making PostScript fonts more accessible and portable across different platforms and systems. It's use has been stable for many years.

pfaedit(1), fontforge(1)