BDF is the X11 bitmap font format: every glyph as an ASCII hex bitmap. It still powers terminal emulators, embedded UIs and retro-computing projects.
Typical use: Render a BDF font to a PNG glyph sheet to preview it or document an embedded UI.
About the BDF format
BDF (Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format) is the X11 consortium's bitmap font format from 1987: every glyph is declared in ASCII as a width, a bounding box and rows of hex-encoded pixels. Terminals like xterm, embedded UI toolkits and retro-computing communities still build on it because it is the simplest font format that renders identically everywhere.
This converter renders every glyph onto a grid as a PNG sheet — the quickest way to preview a font, document an embedded display layout or check that a hand-edited bitmap is sane before flashing it to hardware.
Strengths
- ✓ Pure ASCII — no parsing surprises
- ✓ Pixel-exact rendering across devices
- ✓ Still the standard for terminal/embedded fonts
Limitations
- ✗ Bitmaps only — no hinting or outlines
- ✗ One file per pixel size
- ✗ Fixed sizes look blocky when scaled
- Structure
- STARTFONT cards + per-glyph hex bitmaps
- Types / schema
- ASCII, 1-bit bitmaps
- Compatibility
- xterm, X11 bdftopcf, embedded toolkits
- Best for
- Terminal and embedded UI fonts
Convert BDF to…
3 direct directions, sorted A–Z; 🔥 marks popular targets.
Frequently asked questions
What is a BDF file?
BDF is the X11 bitmap font format: every glyph as an ASCII hex bitmap. It still powers terminal emulators, embedded UIs and retro-computing projects.
How do I convert BDF files online?
Pick a target format from the "Convert BDF to…" list below, drop your file and hit convert. Everything runs in your browser — no install, no upload, no watermark, no limits.
Is it safe to convert BDF files here?
Yes. Every conversion is performed by your own device inside the browser — files never leave for a server, and the page keeps working even offline.
Which formats can BDF convert to?
This page lists all 3 directions across documents, images, audio, video, spreadsheets and archives — each one is its own free converter page.