What is UFO?

UFO (Unified Font Object) is an open, XML-based font source format used by professional font editors for collaborative font development.

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 UFO vs PFM?

Use UFO When...

Reach for UFO when your priority is font design and editing, collaborative font development, glyphs/robofont — its uncompromising quality ensures every detail is preserved.

Use PFM When...

Reach for PFM when your priority is windows postscript printing, font pairing — its uncompromising quality ensures every detail is preserved.

UFO vs PFM: Key Differences

•UFO and PFM diverge on compression: lossless compression for the source, lossless compression for the target.
•Both formats share lossless compression, so quality behavior is similar across the two — file size differences come from algorithm efficiency rather than compression philosophy.
•Transparency: N/A
•Storage footprint: 100KB to 10MB+ depending on glyph count for UFO vs Very small, binary format for PFM.
•Primary audience: UFO is built for font design and editing, collaborative font development, glyphs/robofont scenarios, while PFM focuses on windows postscript printing, font pairing — pick the format that matches your output requirement.

Advantages of UFO

✓At its core, UFO relies on lossless encoding — a design choice that makes it perfect for Font design and editing, collaborative font development, Glyphs/RoboFont.
✓You won't run into compatibility issues with UFO — it's a universal standard across platforms.
✓File size management with UFO: larger files guaranteed to match the original exactly.
✓Every major application in the Font design and editing, collaborative font development, Glyphs/RoboFont space supports UFO 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 UFO to PFM Conversion

Packaging design
Signage systems
Icon sets
Logo design
Data visualization
Presentation design

Industry Applications

Digital MarketingPackaging DesignAdvertisingGame UISignageIcon Design

Best Practices for UFO to PFM Conversion

→Before converting UFO to PFM, review the font license — some licenses restrict format conversion
→Check hinting data after conversion: PFM may handle TrueType hinting differently than UFO
→Verify that all character sets (Latin, Cyrillic, CJK, etc.) survived the conversion intact
→Test the converted font in both a browser and a desktop application
→Keep the original font file in case the conversion alters spacing metrics

Troubleshooting UFO to PFM Conversion

!PFM font doesn't render correctly → check if PFM supports all glyphs present in UFO
!Licensing restrictions after UFO to PFM conversion → verify the font license allows format conversion
!Hinting data lost converting UFO to PFM → some font formats like PFM may not preserve TrueType hinting
!Special characters missing from converted PFM → font subsetting may have removed unused glyphs

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Convert to PFM →Convert from UFO →

Convert UFO to PFM Online - Free & Fast

Convert UFO files to PFM online for free. High-quality conversion with no registration required.

Font Converter

Upload or enter a URL to convert UFO to PFM instantly

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or paste from clipboard

.ufo,.UFO (max 100MB)

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About UFO and PFM

UFO

UFO (UFO) - Unified Font Object, XML-based source format for font design and editing. Best for font design and editing, collaborative font development, glyphs/robofont.

PFM

PFM (PFM metrics) - Printer Font Metrics, Type 1 binary font metrics format. Ideal for windows postscript printing, font pairing.

Format Comparison

CompressionLossless → Lossless

TransparencySupported

Use CaseConvert from font design and editing, collaborative font development, glyphs/robofont to windows postscript printing, font pairing

File Size~Very small, binary format after conversion

FAQs

Is converting UFO to PFM free?

Yes, GoConvertFile offers free conversion of UFO to PFM for files up to 100MB. No registration required.

How long does it take to convert UFO to PFM?

Most UFO to PFM conversions complete within seconds for standard-sized files. Larger files may take longer depending on the conversion complexity.

What is PFM best used for?

PFM is ideal for windows postscript printing, font pairing. Printer Font Metrics, Type 1 binary font metrics format

What file size should I expect after converting UFO to PFM?

File size after UFO to PFM conversion depends on the content complexity and quality settings. Both formats use similar compression approaches so sizes are comparable.

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