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I need to convert OTF font to TTF font without losing quality. If it is possible how can I do it?

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    It depends on the font, some fonts have a ttf style definition, if the font does not rely too much on otf features or have too many glyphs then a font of this kind can be converted with not much loss. But on the other hand this may not be true for the font you have in mind.
    – joojaa
    Commented Oct 19, 2018 at 21:26
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    Does your question imply you are doing this right now but somehow the font quality suffers?
    – Jongware
    Commented Oct 21, 2018 at 18:59
  • @usr2564301 No. I have not tried it yet.
    – vasili111
    Commented Oct 21, 2018 at 23:42

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Starting from the beginning: both OpenType and TrueType fonts are SFNT based (i.e., the file formats are table-based) and very similar. What makes different an OpenType font is the presence of certain tables that enable advanced typographic features.

OpenType fonts can use one of the following to describe their glyphs:

  • PostScript outlines (based on cubic bèzier curves), or
  • TrueType outlines (based on quadratic curves).

TrueType fonts only use TrueType outlines.

Now I refer to my answer to another post: "...a Bézier curve of degree n can be converted into a Bézier curve of degree n+1 with the same shape (see Bézier Curve Degree Elevation). This means you can describe a TT Outline (Degree 2) exactly with a PS Outline (Degree 3), while you cannot do the same in the opposite direction (though you can do it as accurately as required)."

What this means, for your question, is:

  • Talking about glyph quality, if the original OTF has TT outlines, no quality is lost. Otherwise, some quality will be lost in the conversion (I think the degradation will be minimal with a good conversion software).
  • The advanced typographic features on the original OTF will be lost (if there were any).

Finally, you can do the conversion with, e.g., FontForge (which is free) or any other font editor (I can think of FontLab or Glyphs App, for example). For the specific HOW, check the corresponding software help or manual.

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    How would I check whether a font in OTF format has TT outlines or "advanced typographic features"?
    – Frederick Nord
    Commented May 17, 2021 at 18:19
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    In windows, you can double click the font file to open in the default font viewer. Under Font Name and Version, it may say "OpenType Layout" if it supports advanced typographic features (otherwise it will only show the outline type), and follows with the type of outlines (TrueType or PostScript). As for what typographic features the font has, you may need a font editor or check in a capable design app to see what features it includes (e.g., it may support ligatures, old-style numerals, small caps, etc.). Note that the app you use may not support all the features that the font includes.
    – Pepe Ochoa
    Commented Jun 1, 2021 at 22:50

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