What is BDF?

Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format (BDF) is a human-readable bitmap font format for X11, describing glyphs in ASCII text.

What is PFB?

PostScript Type 1 Binary (PFB) is a compact binary printer font format, more efficient than ASCII PFA for professional printing.

When Should You Use BDF vs PFB?

BDF vs PFB: Key Differences

• •BDF and PFB diverge on compression: lossless compression for the source, lossless compression for the target.
• •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: PFB supports transparency, so alpha information is preserved during conversion.
• •BDF files are typically Moderate, plain text font data while PFB files range 15-80KB per font, smaller than PFA
• •BDF is optimized for x11 terminal fonts, embedded system displays while PFB is designed for professional printing, legacy typesetting — choose based on your specific workflow needs

Advantages of BDF

• ✓At its core, BDF relies on lossless encoding — a design choice that makes it perfect for X11 terminal fonts, embedded system displays.
• ✓You won't run into compatibility issues with BDF — it's a universal standard across platforms.
• ✓File size management with BDF: larger files guaranteed to match the original exactly.
• ✓Every major application in the X11 terminal fonts, embedded system displays space supports BDF natively.

Advantages of PFB

• ✓The lossless nature of PFB means file sizes stay reasonable while handling Professional printing, legacy typesetting efficiently.
• ✓From mobile devices to enterprise servers, PFB is recognized and supported everywhere.
• ✓The trade-off for PFB's perfection is larger files — but for archival work, it is worth every megabyte.
• ✓PFB is a first-class citizen in all major software ecosystems, from creative suites to development environments.

Common Use Cases for BDF to PFB Conversion

• Presentation design
• Video subtitles
• Game UI typography
• Website typography
• Brand identity
• Print design

Industry Applications

Best Practices for BDF to PFB Conversion

• →Converting BDF to PFB: check that glyph coverage is preserved — some formats have character limitations
• →Use PFB 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 BDF to PFB Conversion

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

Related Font Converters

All Font Formats

More Font tools