refont

OTF vs TTF: which one should you use?

If a font comes in both, either will usually work. Here is what really differs, the few cases where it matters, and a quick answer for each app.

The short answer

Both are OpenType fonts, and both can carry the same characters, kerning, ligatures and stylistic alternates. The real difference is how the letter shapes are drawn: TTF uses TrueType outlines, and most OTF files use PostScript (CFF) outlines. For almost everything you do on a computer, that difference is invisible. It matters in a handful of places, listed below.

Which to use where

Mac
Either. macOS handles both equally well. If you have both, OTF is the usual choice for print work.
Windows
Either. Both install and work in all current apps. For text at very small sizes on screen, a TTF with good TrueType hinting can look slightly crisper.
Word and PowerPoint
TTF if you need to embed the font in the document, so it looks right on someone else's computer. Office can't embed fonts with CFF outlines.
Canva
Either. Canva accepts OTF, TTF and WOFF uploads.
Procreate
Either. Procreate imports TTF, OTF and TTC.
Cricut and Silhouette
Either officially. On Windows, users often find TTF fonts show up more reliably, so try TTF if an OTF won't appear.
Kindle
Either. Kindle accepts TTF and OTF for custom fonts.
Websites
Neither. Use WOFF2, which is a compressed version of either one. See TTF to WOFF2 or OTF to WOFF2.
Watch faces, Android font apps
TTF. Many of them accept nothing else.

Never install both formats of the same font at once. Your system sees two fonts with the same name, and apps may pick either one, or show duplicates.

What actually differs

OTF (CFF) · cubic curves
TTF · quadratic curves

Curves

CFF uses cubic curves, with two handles per segment. TrueType uses quadratic curves with one, so it needs more points for the same shape.

Hinting

Instructions that tune a font for small sizes on screen. TrueType hinting can be very detailed; CFF hinting is simpler and leaves more to the system.

File size

CFF is usually more compact. One font we tested is 133 KB as OTF and 168 KB as TTF.

Myths worth dropping

  • "OTF has more features." Ligatures, small caps, stylistic sets and other OpenType features work the same in both. Whether a font has them depends on its designer, not on the extension.
  • "TTF is older, so it's worse." Both formats are part of the current OpenType standard, and many of the best-made fonts ship as TTF.
  • "The extension tells you what's inside." Not always. A file named .otf can contain TrueType outlines. Refont reads the outline type from the file itself and shows it in the report.

When you only have the wrong one

Converting between them is possible, but it isn't free. OTF to TTF redraws every curve as quadratic segments, within a font unit of the original, and drops the CFF hinting. TTF to OTF converts the curves exactly but drops the TrueType hinting. Kerning and features survive both ways. If the font's maker offers the format you need, download that instead; it will have been tuned by hand.

Check the license before converting. Some commercial licenses forbid it. How font licensing works

Written and tested by MatrixInn Solutions. Updated .

Related

OTF → TTFFor Office, Cricut and TrueType-only apps TTF → OTFExact curve conversion to CFF Self-host Google FontsThe other common font question

Questions

Is OTF better quality than TTF?

No. Quality depends on how well the font was designed and hinted, not on the format. Both can be excellent.

Should I install OTF or TTF on Windows?

Either works. If you will embed the font in Office documents or use it in older software, TTF is the safer choice.

Can I use OTF fonts in Cricut Design Space?

Yes, Cricut supports both. If an OTF doesn't appear in the font list on Windows after installing, restart Design Space; if it still doesn't, try the TTF version.

Which format is better for a website?

Neither: use WOFF2. It is the same font, compressed for the web, and much smaller than either OTF or TTF.