# Portable Compiled Format

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Portable Compiled Format Filename extension .pcf Internet media type application/x-font-pcf Developed by X.Org Foundation Type of format Bitmap font format Open format? yes Website The X11 PCF bitmap font file format

**Portable Compiled Format** (PCF) is a [bitmap font](/source/Bitmap_font) format used by [X Window System](/source/X_Window_System) in its core font system, and has been used for decades. PCF fonts are usually installed, by default, on most [Unix](/source/Unix)-based operating systems, and are used in terminals such as [xterm](/source/Xterm). PCF fonts replaced [Bitmap Distribution Format](/source/Glyph_Bitmap_Distribution_Format) due to a slight efficiency increase, however most applications have moved on to [scalable fonts](/source/Scalable_font).[1]

## See also

- [Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format](/source/Glyph_Bitmap_Distribution_Format)

- [Server Normal Format](/source/Server_Normal_Format)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-X11_docs_1-0)** [Fonts in X11R7.7](https://www.x.org/releases/X11R7.7/doc/xorg-docs/fonts/fonts.html)

## External links

- [PCF (Portable Compiled Format)](http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/wiki/PCF)

- [Format for X11 pcf bitmap font files](https://fontforge.org/docs/techref/pcf-format.html)

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