Bitmap Distribution Format
A BDF file is a Bitmap Distribution Format font file developed by Adobe in 1984 for the X Window System. It defines character glyphs as pixel bitmaps in a human-readable ASCII text format.
This format is not currently supported for conversion in FileDex.
Common questions
What is a BDF file?
A BDF file is a Bitmap Distribution Format font containing character glyphs defined as pixel bitmaps in a human-readable text format, originally designed for the X Window System.
How do I use a BDF font?
On Linux, install BDF fonts via your system font manager or convert them to PCF with bdftopcf for X11 use. FontForge can open and edit BDF files on any platform.
Can I convert BDF to TTF?
Yes, FontForge can open BDF files and export them as TrueType (TTF) or OpenType (OTF) fonts, though the result will still reflect the original bitmap pixel grid.
What makes .BDF special
The Bitmap Distribution Format was created as a portable, human-readable font format for distributing bitmap fonts across different X11 implementations. Each BDF file contains a header with font-wide properties (FONT, SIZE, FONTBOUNDINGBOX) followed by individual character definitions that specify bitmap data as hexadecimal rows. BDF fonts are resolution-dependent and do not scale smoothly, unlike TrueType or OpenType outline fonts. Despite this limitation, BDF remains relevant for embedded systems, terminal emulators, pixel art, retro computing, and environments where outline font rendering is unavailable or unnecessary. Tools like FontForge can edit BDF files and convert them to other formats, while bdftopcf compiles them into the more efficient PCF format used by X11 servers.
Continue reading — full technical deep dive
Technical reference
- MIME Type
application/x-font-bdf- Developer
- Adobe Systems
- Year Introduced
- 1984
- Open Standard
- Yes