pfbtops

pfbtops input_file [output_file]

input_file
    The path to the binary PostScript font file (PFB) to be converted. Specify - to read from standard input.

output_file
    (Optional) The path where the converted ASCII PostScript font file (PFA) will be saved. If omitted or specified as -, output goes to standard output.

pfbtops is a utility designed to convert PostScript Type 1 font files from their binary (PFB) format to an ASCII (PFA) format.

PFB files are commonly found on Microsoft Windows platforms and contain font data in a compressed or binary-encoded form. PFA files, conversely, are plain text files that are human-readable and can be easily inspected or edited, making them more suitable for Unix-like environments and for direct embedding into PostScript documents. The conversion process involves decompressing the binary sections and encoding them into hexadecimal ASCII. This tool is particularly useful for ensuring font compatibility across different operating systems or for debugging font-related issues by examining the font file's internal structure.

This utility specifically handles PostScript Type 1 fonts. It is not designed for other font formats such as TrueType, OpenType, or PostScript Type 3/42. The resulting PFA file can be significantly larger than the original PFB file due to ASCII encoding.

pfbtops can read from standard input and write to standard output. This capability enables seamless integration into shell scripts and command pipelines, allowing data to be processed or transferred to other commands without intermediate files, greatly enhancing its versatility in automated workflows.

pfbtops is typically distributed as part of Ghostscript or related font utilities collections. Its development arose from the need to manage PostScript fonts across diverse computing environments, particularly to bridge the gap between Windows' common use of binary PFB fonts and Unix-like systems' preference for human-readable PFA fonts. It has served as a fundamental utility for Type 1 font handling for many years.

pfb2pfa(1), gs(1), fontforge(1), type1inst(1)