What is TTF?

TrueType fonts are vector-based font files - glyph outlines defined by quadratic Bézier curves (mathematical formulas for smooth curves). Scale to any size without quality loss. Contains glyph data (character shapes), hinting instructions (optimize rendering at small sizes), kerning tables (spacing between specific letter pairs), and metadata. Single-file format with all font data embedded. Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browsers.

TrueType revolutionized digital typography in the 1990s - breaking Adobe's PostScript Type 1 monopoly. Today, TTF is ubiquitous: operating systems bundle hundreds of TrueType fonts, desktop publishing uses TTF extensively, web fonts (via @font-face CSS), mobile apps, game engines. Thousands of free TTF fonts available (Google Fonts, Font Squirrel, DaFont). Designers prefer OpenType (OTF) for advanced features, but TTF remains widely used due to simplicity and universal compatibility. Install TTF by double-clicking (Windows/Mac) or copying to fonts directory (Linux).

Did you know? TrueType fonts are vector-based - scale infinitely without pixelation!

History

Apple developed TrueType to compete with Adobe PostScript, later collaborating with Microsoft to establish it as the cross-platform font standard.

Key Milestones

  • 1991: Apple releases TrueType (Mac System 7)
  • 1992: Microsoft adopts TrueType (Windows 3.1)
  • 1994: TrueType GX (advanced typography)
  • 1996: OpenType development (Adobe + Microsoft)
  • 2009: Web fonts (@font-face support)
  • Present: Universal font standard

Key Features

Core Capabilities

  • Vector Outlines: Scalable to any size
  • Hinting: Optimized small-size rendering
  • Kerning: Letter pair spacing
  • Unicode Support: International characters
  • Cross-Platform: All OS compatibility
  • Single File: Complete font in one file

Common Use Cases

Operating Systems

System fonts, UI text

Web Fonts

@font-face CSS

Publishing

Books, magazines, graphics

Mobile Apps

iOS, Android custom fonts

Advantages

  • Universal platform support
  • Scalable vector outlines
  • Single-file simplicity
  • Excellent hinting for screen rendering
  • Wide software compatibility
  • Easy installation (double-click)
  • Thousands of free fonts available

Disadvantages

  • Limited advanced typography (vs OpenType)
  • Quadratic curves less precise than cubic
  • No multi-master support
  • Larger file sizes than WOFF2 (web)
  • Less designer control than OTF
  • Licensing restrictions (some fonts)

Technical Information

Format Specifications

Specification Details
File Extension .ttf
MIME Type font/ttf, application/x-font-ttf
Outline Type Quadratic Bézier curves
Structure Table-based binary format
Typical Size 50-500 KB per font
Web Format Convert to WOFF/WOFF2 (optimized)

Common Tools

  • Installation: Double-click font file (Windows/Mac)
  • Editors: FontForge (free), FontLab, Glyphs
  • Conversion: Online converters (TTF → WOFF/WOFF2)
  • Sources: Google Fonts, Font Squirrel, DaFont