A font is a printable text with specific properties like size, weight, colour and style. Many software like Google Docs, Notepad or Microsoft Word is set with a default font and font size.
Different fonts are brought to use for styling web pages and documents. Some fonts affect readability depending on the medium, while some fonts affect the beauty of the content.
TrueType fonts are made of quadratic Bézierswhereas OpenType fonts are made of cubic Bézier paths.
Key Takeaways
- TTF (TrueType Font) is a font format developed by Apple and Microsoft, widely used for its simplicity and efficient rasterization at various sizes and resolutions.
- OTF (OpenType Font) is a more advanced font format based on TTF, created by Adobe and Microsoft, offering additional features like better support for ligatures, multiple character sets, and stylistic variations.
- Both TTF and OTF are popular font formats, but OTF offers more advanced features and is recommended for complex typography projects.
TTF vs OTF
The difference between OTF and TTF comes into the picture when their capabilities are compared. TrueType depends only on a glyph table, whereas OTF relies on both glyph tables and Compact Font Format tables.
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Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | TTF | OTF |
|---|---|---|
| Development | TrueType font was developed by Apple and Microsoft | The OpenType font was developed by Adobe and Microsoft |
| Font File size | TTF font files are larger than OTF font files | OTF font files are usually smaller than TTF font files |
| Popularity | TTF is more popular than OTF | OTF seems to be less popular than the TrueType font |
| Feasibility | The making of TTF is much easier than OFT | Compared to TTF, the creation of OTF is harder |
| Dependency | TrueType font depends on a glyph table | OpenType font depends on the glyph table and CCF |
| Support | TTF generally supports all the old browsers | OTF, on the other hand, supports almost all browsers be they old or new, due to its advanced features |
| Suitability | It is most suitable for day-to-day tasks | OTF finds its suitability in designing areas as it gives a user the freedom to manipulate and play with characters |
| Cost | TTF is generally cost-friendly | Due to advanced features and provisions, OTF is more expensive when purchased. |
What is TTF?
TrueType technology includes two parts:
- The TrueType Rasterizer
- TrueType fonts
For TrueType fonts or an OpenType font with TrueType outlines, a .ttf extension is used.PostScript wrapper is used to manage TrueType outlines.
Back then, the most commonly used font in Windows and Mac was TrueType.TTF permits the attachment of font files with websites and PDF files.
TTF finds its excellence in supporting almost all old browsers. It is a cost-friendly font format for the end users.
TTF find its application primarily in daily tasks. It is incapable of taking input and yielding output as expected in a programming language, but it’s hinting language offers the other requirements of a programming language.
What is OTF?
OpenType is aofficialhallmark of MS Corporation. OpenType fonts are most commonly used on significant computer platforms because of their wide availability and flexibility.
OpenType fonts are flexible; they can be resized quickly without losing their quality. OTF supports International character sets.
The OpenType font is newer, and therefore it has got more advanced features to be used by end users.OTF is somewhat expensive for users when it is purchased because of its advanced features.
Its application is found in particular designing tasks used mainly by graphic designers.OpenType has terminated the Multiple Master facilities from version 1.3.
Main Differences Between TTF and OTF
- TrueType fonts have their file extension as TTF, whereas the OTF extension is used for OpenType fonts.
- Out of the two, Truetype is more popular.
- OpenType is superior to TrueType fonts.
- TrueType font is older than OTF.
- Apple introduced TTF, whereas Opentype got its roots from Adobe and Microsoft.
- OpenType fonts are harder to make if compared with the TTF.
- https://meeting.contextgarden.net/2010/talks/2010-09-17-karelpiska-complexopentype/piska-artcle-ot.pdf
- https://faculty.washington.edu/cadolph/software/caxetexFree.pdf
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
