PFA to MNG Converter

Convert PFA font renderings to MNG animated images online

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Multi-Frame Capability

MNG supports multiple frames with animation — create dynamic font specimens or glyph showcases from your PFA source.

Font Visualization

Turn PFA PostScript fonts into MNG images that can display multiple glyph views in a single animated container.

Cloud Rendering

All processing happens server-side — no need to install animation tools or PostScript software locally.

How to convert PFA to MNG

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose mng or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your mng file right afterwards

About formats

PFA (Printer Font ASCII) is one of two file representations of Adobe's PostScript Type 1 font format, introduced in 1984 as part of the PostScript page description language. A PFA file contains the complete font program as plain ASCII text — the clear-text header with font name, encoding array, and metrics, followed by a hex-encoded encrypted section (eexec) holding the actual glyph outlines described as cubic Bezier curves with stem hints. Because every byte is represented in printable ASCII characters, PFA files are roughly twice the size of their PFB binary counterparts, but they can be transmitted through any text-safe channel and edited in a standard text editor. PFA became the standard Type 1 distribution format on Unix and Linux systems, where binary font formats were less convenient for PostScript printer pipelines. A key advantage is universal text compatibility — PFA files pass cleanly through email systems, FTP text-mode transfers, and version control without corruption from character encoding transformations. The readable structure also benefits font developers, who can inspect header values and encoding declarations directly. Type 1 fonts in PFA form powered the desktop publishing revolution of the late 1980s and 1990s, with Adobe's font library and the Apple LaserWriter printer establishing PostScript typography as the professional standard. Although OpenType has superseded Type 1 for new font development, PFA files remain in active use within legacy publishing workflows and PostScript/PDF production systems.
Developer: Adobe Systems
Initial release: 1984
MNG (Multiple-image Network Graphics) is an animation and multiple-image format designed as the animated counterpart to PNG, with its specification reaching version 1.0 on January 31, 2001. Developed by Glenn Randers-Pehrson and members of the PNG development community, MNG extends PNG's capabilities with support for frame-based animation sequences, slide shows, complex sprite overlays, and JNG (JPEG Network Graphics) frames for lossy compression of photographic content within the same container. An MNG file consists of a series of chunks (following PNG's chunk-based architecture): MHDR and MEND chunks bookend the datastream, with embedded PNG or JNG images as individual frames and control chunks (DEFI, FRAM, LOOP, ENDL, TERM, BACK, BASI, CLON, PAST, DISC, SHOW) directing playback timing, looping behavior, layer compositing, and memory management. The format supports both full-frame replacement and delta (difference) updates for efficient encoding of animations with static backgrounds, as well as object-based animation where sprites are defined once and repositioned across frames. One advantage is technical sophistication: MNG provides a level of animation control that GIF and APNG cannot match — frame-accurate timing, nested loops, conditional branches, interframe compression, and mixed lossy/lossless content within a single animation. The PNG-based foundation ensures lossless quality with full alpha transparency for each frame. MNG is supported by ImageMagick, GIMP, and various media players, though browser support was limited, which led to APNG's emergence as a simpler alternative for web animation.
Initial release: January 31, 2001

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PFA to MNG?

MNG extends PNG with animation and multiple frames — useful for creating animated font specimens or glyph showcase sequences from PostScript fonts.

How to open MNG?

MNG files are viewable in Firefox, Konqueror, and image tools like IrfanView and XnView. ImageMagick also fully supports MNG for reading and writing.

Is MNG like animated GIF?

Similar concept but better technically — MNG supports full alpha transparency, lossless compression, and richer animation control than GIF.

Is MNG widely supported?

Browser support for MNG declined after PNG APNG emerged. MNG is still useful in applications and workflows that specifically support it.

Is the conversion free?

Yes. Convertio handles PFA to MNG conversion at no charge, entirely online in your browser.