What is CFF?

Compact Font Format (CFF) is a PostScript-based font format used in PDF documents and professional printing for efficient font storage.

What is PFM?

Printer Font Metrics (PFM) is the binary companion to PFB fonts for Windows, containing font metric data for printing.

When Should You Use CFF vs PFM?

CFF vs PFM: Key Differences

• •The core technical difference: CFF relies on lossless compression whereas PFM uses lossless compression.
• •Neither format changes compression philosophy — both are lossless compression — so any size differences are due to encoding efficiency, not a shift in quality approach.
• •How transparency is handled: PFM supports transparency, so alpha information is preserved during conversion.
• •File sizes: CFF files typically range 15-100KB per font and PFM files Very small, binary format.
• •Primary audience: CFF is built for professional printing, pdf fonts scenarios, while PFM focuses on windows postscript printing, font pairing — pick the format that matches your output requirement.

Advantages of CFF

• ✓At its core, CFF relies on lossless encoding — a design choice that makes it perfect for Professional printing, PDF fonts.
• ✓You won't run into compatibility issues with CFF — it's a universal standard across platforms.
• ✓File size management with CFF: larger files guaranteed to match the original exactly.
• ✓Every major application in the Professional printing, PDF fonts space supports CFF natively.

Advantages of PFM

• ✓At its core, PFM relies on lossless encoding — a design choice that makes it perfect for Windows PostScript printing, font pairing.
• ✓You won't run into compatibility issues with PFM — it's a universal standard across platforms.
• ✓File size management with PFM: larger files guaranteed to match the original exactly.
• ✓Every major application in the Windows PostScript printing, font pairing space supports PFM natively.

Common Use Cases for CFF to PFM Conversion

• Mobile apps
• Desktop publishing
• E-book formatting
• User interfaces
• Marketing materials
• Packaging design

Industry Applications

Best Practices for CFF to PFM Conversion

• →Converting CFF to PFM: check that glyph coverage is preserved — some formats have character limitations
• →Use PFM for websites where file size matters
• →Test fonts across different browsers and operating systems after conversion
• →Always keep a backup of your original files before converting
• →Choose the appropriate quality settings for your specific use case

Troubleshooting CFF to PFM Conversion

• !The converted PFM font has incorrect metrics → advance width and kerning values may differ between formats despite identical glyphs
• !PFM file looks heavier or lighter than CFF → font rendering engines handle weight and anti-aliasing differently per format
• !OpenType features (ligatures, swashes) lost after conversion to PFM → verify the target format supports advanced typographic features
• !Variable font axes missing from the converted PFM → variable font support varies significantly between formats

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