Dfont Format
Dfont stands for data fork TrueType and it is a special form of TrueType font format. The file is specifically for Macs operating systems that are running Mac OS X. Some of the system fonts that come preinstalled on OS X come as dfont fonts. This type of file format will not be on a different operating system. TrueType is a very popular font format on Linux, Windows and Macs computers. It looks very good on the screen and equally offers great quality in its output.
History
The TrueType font had been around for a very long time. It had been in use since the early parts of the 1990s. However, it is getting gradually replaced by the OpenType font format, which is more recent and features more functionality. The file can also be used on various versions of the Windows Operating System. Like the XP, Vista, 8/8.1, 7 and 10.
Every end-user can easily access the active system fonts. The system fonts must be saved in the /Library/Fonts/ folder. The active user fonts, on the other hand, can only be accessible to the current end-user. And you must save it in the /users/username/Library/Fonts/ folder.
In the earlier versions of the Mac operating systems, like System 9, one could store data in two different entities, which are:
- Resource fork
- Data fork
The mechanism was equally sued for TrueType fonts in which all pieces of information related to the fonts was in the resource fork. When developing OS X, Apple decides to change its method of data storage from the forks concept. As a result, files only have a data part. As a result, the old System 9 TrueType fonts became obsolete and inapplicable in the regular data section of OS X files. Consequently, we end up with the data fork TrueType fonts or dfonts fonts.
You should not take anyone seriously that asks you to avoid the use of Dfont fonts in the professional publishing environments. This is because the quality of the Dfont fonts is similar to that of any other TrueType font. The only channeling is that the fonts are not compatible across different platforms.
How to open a Dfont file
One of the best ways to open dfont files is to convert them to another file. For one, you can convert it to other file formats, like svg, bin, otf and tff. The conversion makes it easier to open the file. The method adopted in opening depends a great deal on the particular operating system that you are using.
In Windows
You can use in windows operating system one of the following programs:
- File Viewer Plus
- fontSplitter.
In MAC OS
In MAC these are the available programs:
- Apple Font Book
- DfontSplitter.
You can equally open it using Font Book. Also using various other Mac Os X programs that have access to the system fonts. If you still have a problem opening the file, you can get in touch with field experts or automatic tools.