How to preview a .BDF file online
See your .BDF file in action before you install it, license it or send it to a client.
Pick your .BDF file
Drag it in or click to choose it, or try one of the samples below. Nothing is installed or uploaded from your device.
Type and test
Write your own text, change the size, switch OpenType features like ligatures and small caps, and move variable-font sliders.
Inspect and use
Browse every glyph with its outline, check language coverage, read the licence and copy ready-made @font-face CSS.
About .BDF files
What a .BDF file is, and what's inside it.
A BDF file is a bitmap font in the Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format, defined by Adobe and used in the X Window System on Linux and Unix. The file is plain ASCII text, so any text editor can open it. To view or edit the glyphs, use the free FontForge. To install on Linux, compile to PCF with bdftopcf; on Windows or macOS, convert to TTF with FontForge first.
Programs that open .BDF files
| Full name | Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format |
|---|---|
| Developer | Adobe Systems (specification); maintained in the X Window System ecosystem |
| First released | 1980s (Adobe BDF spec; widely used in X11) |
| Category | Fonts |
| MIME type | application/x-font-bdf |
| Signature | 53 54 41 52 54 46 4F 4E 54 "STARTFONT" |
Related viewers
Other free viewers that work the same way.
Does opening a .BDF file install it on my computer?
No. The font is loaded only inside this browser tab and disappears when you close it. Nothing is installed or uploaded.
How do I know which languages a font supports?
Open the Languages tab. We check the font's character map against the letters each language needs, for example ą ć ę ł ń ó ś ź ż for Polish, and show what's missing.
What are OpenType features?
Optional typographic extras built into a font: ligatures, small caps, old-style or tabular figures, fractions, stylistic sets. Switch them on and off in the Type tester to see what your font offers.
Can I use this font on my website?
Technically yes. Copy the @font-face CSS from the side panel. Legally, check the licence shown in the font info: many fonts are free (SIL Open Font License), others need a web licence.
Why does my Type 1 font look like an image?
Browsers can't use Type 1 fonts, so we render a specimen with Ghostscript instead. You can still type your own sample text and zoom in.
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