What is the Difference Between OTF and TTF?
Everyone uses a different kind of fonts in their daily life to add style to their documents. Each font will have a different type of format that will have a different extension. Most of the time users will find the fonts in the OTF or TTF format. However, some users are wondering about the difference between these two. As both of these font formats are quite similar to each other, there are also differences between them. In this article, we will be talking about what an OTF and TTF are and what is the difference between them.
What is an OTF File?
An OTF file is an OpenType Format font file that is developed jointly by Adobe and Microsoft. It is the new standard for digital type fonts that support more advanced typesetting features and more languages. OpenType font can be used on both Windows and macOS without any conversion. OTF fonts are fully scalable, which means the characters can be resized without losing the original quality. It can contain either TrueType or PostScript outlines in a common wrapper.
What is a TTF File?
TTF stands for TrueType Font, it is a font format developed by Apple and Microsoft in the late 1980s. The purpose of developing this font format was to simply have a font that can work on both macOS and Windows, as well as on all the commonly used printers. It contains both screen and printer font data in a single component which makes it easier to install fonts. As it seems the perfect type of font format, there is still some limitation on all the extras you can do with it. It is also available for the development of new fonts.
Difference Between OTF and TTF?
One of the main differences between OTF and TTF is the advanced typesetting features of OTF. Due to this OTF is more likely to be a better font than the TTF. Old programs will only support TTF and not OTF. TTF fonts are popular and much easier to make, compared to the OTF. Most of the free fonts available on the internet will be in TTF format. When it comes to choosing one of the font formats between these two, the answer depends on the usage. If you use the font mainly for mobile or web design, then the TTF is a better choice, however, if you are using it for designing materials for print then the OTF is the one to choose. For non-designers and the average computer users, the additional features of OTF will not matter much. The TTF style fonts use quadratic Bézier splines whereas the OTF style fonts use cubic Bézier splines.
