What is PFM?

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

What is EOT?

Embedded OpenType (EOT) is a compact font format developed by Microsoft for embedding fonts in web pages using IE.

When Should You Use PFM vs EOT?

PFM vs EOT: Key Differences

• •The core technical difference: PFM relies on lossless compression whereas EOT uses lossy compression.
• •Converting from PFM to EOT changes compression type: lossy source becomes smaller but with some quality tradeoff.
• •Transparency: N/A — converting from PFM will merge transparency into a solid background
• •Storage footprint: Very small, binary format for PFM vs Similar to WOFF, 30-50% smaller than TTF for EOT.
• •PFM is optimized for windows postscript printing, font pairing while EOT is designed for legacy ie web fonts, older browser support — choose based on your specific workflow needs

Advantages of PFM

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

Advantages of EOT

• ✓EOT compresses data using lossy methods, keeping file sizes manageable for Legacy IE web fonts, older browser support.
• ✓Industry-wide support means EOT files open anywhere — from legacy systems to the latest devices.
• ✓Small file sizes make EOT ideal for email, web uploads, and cloud storage.
• ✓From VS Code to open-source alternatives, EOT works out of the box.

Common Use Cases for PFM to EOT Conversion

• Data visualization
• Presentation design
• Video subtitles
• Game UI typography
• Website typography
• Brand identity

Industry Applications

Best Practices for PFM to EOT Conversion

• →Before converting PFM to EOT, review the font license — some licenses restrict format conversion
• →Check hinting data after conversion: EOT may handle TrueType hinting differently than PFM
• →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 PFM to EOT Conversion

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

Related Font Converters

All Font Formats

More Font tools