ref: b897e4c9c10b669ab29b57bf5688f949bf76213d
dir: /docs/formats.txt/
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).