PFB

PFB — Printer Font Binary

PFB (Printer Font Binary) is the compact binary container for Adobe Type 1 PostScript fonts. It carries the same font program that PFA stores as ASCII text, but encoded as binary segments — typically half the size on disk. PFB was the dominant Type 1 distribution format on Windows and macOS through the 1990s. It is still readable by virtually every desktop font tool, but modern systems prefer OpenType (.otf) for desktop use and WOFF2 for the web.

History

Adobe shipped Type 1 in 1984 with the LaserWriter, but the format's internals were closed and the company kept the format encrypted to protect its commercial font library. When Apple and Microsoft jointly developed TrueType in 1991 as a royalty-free alternative, Adobe responded in 1990 by publishing the full Type 1 specification in the Black Book. PFB became the default Windows installer container — paired with an AFM or PFM metrics file — and ruled commercial type distribution until OpenType took over in the late 1990s. By 2005 most foundries had stopped shipping Type 1 entirely; by 2020 every major operating system except Linux had warned that Type 1 support would be removed. macOS Monterey dropped Type 1 support in 2021. PFB now lives mainly in archives and in commercial print pipelines that have not yet migrated.

When to use PFB

Convert PFB to other formats

Convert other formats to PFB

Frequently asked questions

Is PFB still usable in 2026?

Barely. macOS Monterey removed Type 1 support in 2021, Windows 11 began warning about Type 1 fonts in 2023, and Adobe officially ended Type 1 support in Creative Cloud in 2023. PFB still loads in font editors and standalone PostScript print pipelines, but you should convert it to OpenType for any new use.

What is the difference between PFB and PFA?

Both contain the same Adobe Type 1 font program. PFB stores it as compact binary segments; PFA stores it as plain ASCII text. PFB is roughly half the file size; PFA is portable to any text-based tool. The font itself is identical.

Should I convert PFB to OTF or WOFF2?

Convert to OTF for desktop use and to WOFF2 for the web. Both targets wrap the Type 1 glyph outlines in a modern OpenType container that every operating system, browser, and design tool supports natively in 2026.