Convert OTF to WOFF2
The same trip for a font with PostScript outlines. WOFF2 carries an OTF as happily as a TTF — the outlines inside are left alone.
What this does to the font
Nothing is redrawn. The font is wrapped up whole — same glyphs, same spacing, same hinting — only smaller.
When you need this
- The font you bought or downloaded came as an OTF and the site needs a web format.
- You are self-hosting a family whose desktop release is PostScript-flavoured.
- A build tool is refusing an OTF and you want the web container it does accept.
What usually goes wrong
- Expecting the file to shrink as much as a TTF does. PostScript outlines compress well, but the saving is usually a little smaller.
- Assuming the OTF features came along. They did — ligatures, alternates, small caps are all inside — but they still have to be switched on in CSS.
- Shipping both the OTF and the WOFF2 in the same @font-face list when only the WOFF2 will ever be used.
Questions
- Is my font uploaded anywhere?
- No. The conversion runs in this page, on your own computer. No request is made and no copy of the file exists anywhere else, which is what makes it safe to use on a font whose licence forbids redistribution.
- Does converting OTF to WOFF2 damage the font?
- Nothing is redrawn. The font is wrapped up whole — same glyphs, same spacing, same hinting — only smaller.
- Is there a file size limit?
- Only what your own browser can hold. A large CJK family of 20 MB converts here; there is no upload to time out.
- Can I convert a font I did not make?
- Converting a file you already have is not redistribution, and nothing leaves your machine here. What the licence says about using or sharing the result is a separate question, and it is the licence that answers it.