User Guide

Editing Fonts
55
Font Formats
FontLab can import outline fonts in any of following formats:
Format Extension Description
Type 1 Binary PFB
PostScript fonts in Windows-compatible binary
form
Type 1 ASCII PFA PostScript fonts printer downloadable form (this
format is also used in most Unix-based
operating systems)
Multiple Master PFB or PFA Special version of PostScript fonts — in binary
or ASCII form
OpenType OTF CFF-based OpenType fonts.
TrueType TTF TrueType and TrueType-based OpenType fonts
that are standard in Windows and Mac
operating systems
FontLab 2.5 VFA Fonts in FontLab 2.5 internal format
FontLab 3.0
VFB
Native format of FontLab 3.0, 4.0 and 4.6
Note that FontLab 4.6 cannot open font files that were created in FontLab
2.0. The default extension of those files is VFA (same as FontLab 2.5 fonts),
but they are not compatible with FontLab 4.6. If you want to move fonts
from the FontLab 2.0 format to FontLab 4.6, use Type 1 Binary as an
intermediate format.
If you have fonts in a different font editor’s own font format and you want
to open these fonts in FontLab 4, export the fonts in the Type 1 Binary
format using the other font editor and then open the Type 1 fonts in
FontLab.