What is PFM?

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

What is CFF?

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

When Should You Use PFM vs CFF?

PFM vs CFF: Key Differences

• •The core technical difference: PFM relies on lossless compression whereas CFF 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.
• •Alpha channel support: CFF lacks transparency support.
• •File sizes: PFM files typically range Very small, binary format and CFF files 15-100KB per font.
• •Primary audience: PFM is built for windows postscript printing, font pairing scenarios, while CFF focuses on professional printing, pdf fonts — pick the format that matches your output requirement.

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.

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.

Common Use Cases for PFM to CFF Conversion

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

Industry Applications

Best Practices for PFM to CFF Conversion

• →Converting PFM to CFF: check that glyph coverage is preserved — some formats have character limitations
• →Use CFF for cross-platform compatibility
• →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 PFM to CFF Conversion

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

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