What is a .pfb file?
PostScript Type 1 Font (binary) · Font · Adobe · 1984
A .pfb file is a PostScript Type 1 font in binary form, the classic professional font format from the desktop-publishing era. It usually pairs with a .pfm or .afm metrics file.
What is a .pfb file used for?
Type 1 fonts store outlines as PostScript, and the binary .pfb form starts with the segment marker 0x80 0x01. They were the print standard for years before OpenType absorbed the technology.
Adobe ended Type 1 support in its apps in 2023, so the format is legacy. Convert .pfb to OpenType (.otf) with FontForge or a converter for continued use.
What opens a .pfb file?
The .pfb format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.
Windows
- FontForge
- install via Fonts
- font converters
macOS
- FontForge
- Font Book (legacy)
Linux
- FontForge
- font managers
Open a .pfb file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .pfb. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with FontForge or install via Fonts.
- On Mac, use FontForge or Font Book (legacy).
- On Linux, try FontForge or font managers.
- Still stuck? Convert the .pfb to otf, which opens more widely.
Why can't I open my .pfb file?
Almost always because no installed app understands PFB. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads. If double-clicking opens the wrong program instead of nothing at all, the file association is set to the wrong app rather than the file being broken.
The other possibility is that the file is not really a .pfb at all. Drop it into the file identifier to check it by its bytes instead of its name. Nothing is uploaded.
How to convert a .pfb file
You can convert a .pfb file to otf, ttf, woff2 using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.
What is the .pfb file signature (magic bytes)?
A .pfb file starts with the hex bytes 80 01. Programs identify PFB by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.
These are the documented signatures for PFB.
| Hex signature | Offset | ASCII | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 01 | 0 | - | PFB segment marker |
See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .pfb file?
A .pfb file is a PostScript Type 1 font in binary form, the classic professional font format from the desktop-publishing era. It usually pairs with a .pfm or .afm metrics file.
How do I open or install a .pfb file?
You can install it as a font on older systems, but support is fading. The reliable path is to convert it to OpenType (.otf) with FontForge.
What is the difference between .pfb and .pfm?
The .pfb holds the font outlines (the glyphs); the .pfm (or .afm) holds the metrics. Type 1 fonts historically came as this pair.
Are Type 1 fonts still supported?
Barely. Adobe dropped Type 1 support in 2023. Convert .pfb fonts to OpenType to keep using them in modern software.
Related formats
Sources
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