What is a .ttf file?

What is a .ttf file used for?

A TTF holds the outlines of every character in a typeface plus hinting that keeps text crisp at small sizes.

It installs on Windows, macOS and Linux with a double-click and works in virtually all software, making it the safe default for desktop fonts.

On the web, TTF has largely been replaced by the compressed WOFF2, which downloads much faster.

What opens a .ttf file?

The .ttf format opens in the following apps, grouped by operating system. If one app does not work, try another from the same list.

Open a .ttf file step by step

1. Confirm the file really is a .ttf. Drop it into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads its signature in your browser without uploading anything.
2. On Windows, open it with Windows Font Viewer (double-click) or FontForge.
3. On Mac, use Font Book or FontForge.
4. On Linux, try Font viewer or FontForge.
5. Still stuck? Convert the .ttf to OTF, which opens more widely.

Why can't I open my .ttf file?

Almost always because no installed app understands TTF. 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 .ttf 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 .ttf file

You can convert a .ttf file to OTF, WOFF, WOFF2 using a conversion tool or the export menu of an app that opens it.

What is the .ttf file signature (magic bytes)?

A .ttf file starts with the hex bytes 00 01 00 00 00. Programs identify TTF by those bytes, not by the filename, so a renamed file still gives itself away.

These are the documented signatures for TTF. For a full breakdown, see the TrueType file signature page.

See the full magic-numbers reference for every format.

Frequently asked questions

Comparisons

Related formats