shithub: freetype+ttf2subf

ref: 3273a99160a18a327a8a2d31b9e56e69dd9e8c1a
dir: /docs/formats.txt/

View raw version
This file contains a list of various font formats.  It gives the
reference document and whether it is supported in FreeType 2.


  file type:
    The only special case is `MAC'; on older Mac OS versions, a `file'
    is stored as a data and a resource fork, this is, within two
    separate data chunks.  In all other cases, the font data is stored
    in a single file.

  wrapper format:
    The format used to represent the font data.  In the table below it
    is used only if the font format differs.  Possible values are
    `SFNT' (binary), `PS' (a text header, followed by binary or text
    data), and `LZW' (compressed with either `gzip' or `compress').

  font format:
    How the font is to be accessed, possibly after converting the file
    type and wrapper format into a generic form.  Bitmap formats are
    `BDF', `PCF', and one form of `WINFNT'; all others are vector
    formats.

  font type:
    Sub-formats of the font format.  `SBIT' and `MACSBIT' are bitmap
    formats, `MM' and `VAR' support optical axes.

  glyph access:
    If not specified, the glyph access is `standard' to the font
    format.  Values are `CID' for CID-keyed fonts, `SYNTHETIC' for
    fonts which are modified versions of other fonts by means of a
    transformation matrix, `COLLECTION' for collecting multiple fonts
    (sharing most of the data) into a single file, and `TYPE_0' for PS
    fonts which are to be accessed in a tree-like structure.

  FreeType driver:
    The module in the FreeType library which handles the specific font
    format.  A missing entry means that FreeType doesn't support the
    font format (yet).


Please send additions and/or corrections to [email protected] or to the
FreeType developer's list at devel@freetype (for subscribers only).  If
you can provide a font example for a format which isn't supported yet
please send a mail too.


file wrapper font   font    glyph      FreeType reference
type format  format type    access     driver   documents
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

---  ---     BDF    ---     ---        bdf      5005.BDF_Spec.pdf, X11


---  SFNT    PS     TYPE_1  ---        ---      Type 1 GX Font Format
                                                (for the Mac)
MAC  SFNT    PS     TYPE_1  ---        ---      Type 1 GX Font Format
                                                (for the Mac)
---  SFNT    PS     TYPE_1  CID        ---      5180.sfnt.pdf (for the Mac)
MAC  SFNT    PS     TYPE_1  CID        ---      5180.sfnt.pdf (for the Mac)
---  SFNT    PS     CFF     ---        cff      OT spec, 5176.CFF.pdf
                                                (`OTTO' format)
MAC  SFNT    PS     CFF     ---        cff      OT spec, 5176.CFF.pdf
                                                (`OTTO' format)
---  SFNT    PS     CFF     CID        cff      OT spec, 5176.CFF.pdf
MAC  SFNT    PS     CFF     CID        cff      OT spec, 5176.CFF.pdf
---  SFNT    PS     CFF     SYNTHETIC  ---      OT spec, 5176.CFF.pdf
MAC  SFNT    PS     CFF     SYNTHETIC  ---      OT spec, 5176.CFF.pdf
---  SFNT    TT     SBIT    ---        ---      XFree86? (bitmaps only;
                                                `head' table)
---  SFNT    TT     MACSBIT ---        sfnt     OT spec (for the Mac;
                                                bitmaps only; `bhed' table)
MAC  SFNT    TT     MACSBIT ---        sfnt     OT spec (for the Mac;
                                                bitmaps only; `bhed' table)
---  SFNT    TT     ---     ---        truetype OT spec (`normal' TT font)
MAC  SFNT    TT     ---     ---        truetype OT spec (`normal' TT font)
MAC  SFNT    TT     VAR     ---        truetype GX spec (`?var' tables)
---  SFNT    TT     ---     COLLECTION truetype OT spec (this can't be CFF)
MAC  SFNT    TT     ---     COLLECTION truetype OT spec (this can't be CFF)


---  ---     PS     TYPE_1  ---        type1    T1_SPEC.pdf
                                                (`normal' Type 1 font)
MAC  ---     PS     TYPE_1  ---        type1    T1_SPEC.pdf
                                                (`normal' Type 1 font)
---  ---     PS     TYPE_1  CID        cid      PLRM.pdf (CID Font Type 0;
                                                Type 9 font)
---  ---     PS     MM      ---        type1    5015.Type1_Supp.pdf
                                                (Multiple Masters)
---  ---     PS     CFF     ---        cff      5176.CFF.pdf (`pure' CFF)
---  ---     PS     CFF     CID        cff      5176.CFF.pdf (`pure' CFF)
---  ---     PS     CFF     SYNTHETIC  ---      5176.CFF.pdf (`pure' CFF)
---  PS      PS     CFF     ---        ---      PLRM.pdf (Type 2) [1]
---  PS      PS     CFF     CID        ---      PLRM.pdf (Type 2) [1]
---  PS      PS     CFF     SYNTHETIC  ---      PLRM.pdf (Type 2) [1]
---  ---     PS     ---     TYPE_0     ---      PLRM.pdf
---  ---     PS     TYPE_3  ---        ---      PLRM.pdf (never supported)
---  ---     PS     TYPE_3  CID        ---      PLRM.pdf (CID Font Type 1;
                                                Type 10 font; never supported)
---  PS      PS     TYPE_14 ---        ---      PLRM.pdf (Chameleon font;
                                                Type 14 font; never supported?)
---  ---     PS     TYPE_32 CID        ---      PLRM.pdf (CID Font Type 4;
                                                Type 32 font; never supported?)
---  PS      TT     ---     ---        type42   5012.Type42_Spec.pdf
                                                (Type 42 font)
---  PS      TT     ---     CID        ---      PLRM.pdf (CID Font Type 2;
                                                Type 11 font)


---  ?       ?      CEF     ?          cff      ?


---  ---     PCF    ---     ---        pcf      X11
---  LZW     PCF    ---     ---        pcf      X11


---  ---     PFR    PFR0    ---        pfr      [2]
---  ---     PFR    PFR1    ---        ---      (undocumented, proprietary;
                                                probably never supported)


---  ---     WINFNT ---     ---        winfonts MS Windows 3 Developer's Notes
---  ---     WINFNT VECTOR  ---        ---      MS Windows 3 Developer's Notes


[1] Support should be rather simple since this is identical to `CFF'
    but in a PS wrapper.

[2] Official PFR specification:

      http://www.bitstream.com/categories/developer/truedoc/pfrspec.html
      http://www.bitstream.com/categories/developer/truedoc/pfrspec1.2.pdf

    The syntax of the auxiliary data is not defined there, but is partially
    defined in MHP 1.0.3 (also called ETSI TS 101812 V1.3.1) section 7.4.

      http://www.etsi.org/
      http://webapp.etsi.org/workprogram/Report_WorkItem.asp?WKI_ID=18799

    (free registration required).