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Font format guide

TTF, OTF, WOFF, and WOFF2: which font format should you use?

Compare TTF, OTF, WOFF, and WOFF2, understand desktop and webfont use cases, and choose the right files for design, testing, and deployment.

By Typelure Editorial 4 min read

Font extensions are easy to treat as interchangeable, but they describe different outline and packaging choices. The right deliverables depend on whether someone will install the font on a desktop, embed it on a website, or continue editing its source.

A dependable release often includes a desktop font plus a compressed webfont, along with a clear license and a record of the source project used to build them.

Editable project

Source of truth

TTF

Desktop proof
W2

WOFF2

Web delivery
Typelure workflow schematic. Use it as a diagnostic model; judge the actual outlines and exported files in context.

TTF: a familiar desktop delivery format

TTF is commonly associated with TrueType outlines and broad desktop compatibility. Modern TTF files can also use the OpenType table structure, which carries character mappings, naming, metrics, and layout information alongside the outlines.

Use a TTF deliverable when the intended workflow expects an installable desktop font and specifically accepts that extension. Always test the actual output in target applications because an extension alone does not prove the contents or behavior of every table.

OTF: OpenType packaging with more than one outline path

OpenType fonts can contain TrueType outlines or Compact Font Format outlines. Files with CFF outlines use the OTF extension, while OpenType fonts with TrueType outlines may use TTF. OpenType layout features, language support, and variation data depend on the tables inside the file, not simply on seeing OTF at the end of its name.

Choose OTF when your build pipeline produces a valid OpenType file with CFF outlines or when a delivery specification requests it. Do not convert only by renaming the extension.

WOFF and WOFF2: web delivery containers

WOFF packages font data for delivery over the web. WOFF2 adds newer preprocessing and compression designed to reduce transfer size compared with WOFF. Browsers use these files through CSS font-face declarations rather than as the editable source of truth.

For a new website, WOFF2 is usually the primary webfont deliverable. A project may also keep WOFF for an older compatibility requirement, but that decision should come from the browser-support policy for the site.

  • Keep the original project or desktop font as the source artifact.
  • Serve the smallest character and style set the page actually needs.
  • Declare an appropriate fallback stack and font-display behavior.
  • Only publish fonts whose license permits web embedding.

Use the format that matches the next step

Editing, desktop installation, and web deployment are separate jobs. Preserve an editable source project for future changes. Export a desktop file for application testing. Generate WOFF2 for a production website after the outlines, mappings, metrics, and naming have been validated.

Typelure currently opens TTF, OTF, and WOFF files and exports TTF and WOFF2. WOFF2 import is not currently supported, so retain a source or desktop version instead of treating the compressed web file as the only master.

  1. 1

    Keep a source

    Save the editable project before producing distribution files.

  2. 2

    Test desktop

    Install and proof the desktop export in more than one application.

  3. 3

    Build web

    Create WOFF2 only after the intended character set and metadata are final.

  4. 4

    Verify deployment

    Load the webfont from a real CSS test page and inspect fallback behavior.

Current Typelure font format support
FormatImportExportTypical use
TTFYesYesDesktop testing and delivery
OTFYesNot yetOpenType desktop fonts with CFF outlines
WOFFYesNot yetEarlier-generation webfont delivery
WOFF2Not yetYesCompressed modern webfont delivery

A practical delivery checklist

File format is only one part of a font release. Name files consistently, document styles and character coverage, include the license, and state whether users may install, embed, modify, or redistribute the font.

  • Editable source project stored safely.
  • Desktop font tested after export.
  • WOFF2 loaded through CSS in a clean browser test.
  • Family, style, version, and PostScript names reviewed.
  • Character coverage and licensing documented.

Frequently asked questions

Is OTF always better than TTF?

No. Both can be modern OpenType fonts. Outline type, table quality, hinting, application support, and the needs of the delivery workflow matter more than treating one extension as universally superior.

Should I use WOFF or WOFF2 on a website?

WOFF2 is generally the first choice for current web delivery because it provides stronger compression. Add WOFF only when your documented browser-support policy requires it.

Can I install a WOFF2 file like a desktop font?

WOFF2 is intended for web delivery. Keep and distribute an appropriate desktop font when users need to install the family in design or office applications.

Primary references

These references support the standards and file-format details in this guide. Typelure-specific behavior is described from the current product implementation and is dated above.

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