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 CFF2?

CFF2 (Compact Font Format v2) is optimized for OpenType variable fonts with efficient data structures and support for font variations.

When Should You Use CFF vs CFF2?

CFF vs CFF2: Key Differences

• •CFF uses lossless compression while CFF2 uses lossless compression — both take the same approach to file size management.
• •Since both CFF and CFF2 use lossless compression, the quality characteristics are comparable — differences in file size come down to how efficiently each format implements compression.
• •How transparency is handled: CFF2 supports transparency, so alpha information is preserved during conversion.
• •Storage footprint: 15-100KB per font for CFF vs 15-100KB per font for CFF2.
• •CFF is optimized for professional printing, pdf fonts while CFF2 is designed for variable fonts, opentype font production, advanced typesetting — choose based on your specific workflow needs

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 CFF2

• ✓CFF2 compresses data using lossless methods, keeping file sizes manageable for Variable fonts, OpenType font production, advanced typesetting.
• ✓Industry-wide support means CFF2 files open anywhere — from legacy systems to the latest devices.
• ✓Lossless quality makes CFF2 the gold standard for archival and master copies.
• ✓From professional software to open-source alternatives, CFF2 works out of the box.

Common Use Cases for CFF to CFF2 Conversion

• Marketing materials
• Packaging design
• Signage systems
• Icon sets
• Logo design
• Data visualization

Industry Applications

Best Practices for CFF to CFF2 Conversion

• →Converting CFF to CFF2: check that glyph coverage is preserved — some formats have character limitations
• →Use CFF2 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 CFF to CFF2 Conversion

• !CFF2 font doesn't render correctly → check if CFF2 supports all glyphs present in CFF
• !Licensing restrictions after CFF to CFF2 conversion → verify the font license allows format conversion
• !Hinting data lost converting CFF to CFF2 → some font formats like CFF2 may not preserve TrueType hinting
• !Special characters missing from converted CFF2 → font subsetting may have removed unused glyphs

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