How to preview a .PCF file online
See your .PCF file in action before you install it, license it or send it to a client.
Pick your .PCF file
Drag it in or click to choose it, or try one of the samples below. Nothing is installed or uploaded from your device.
Type and test
Write your own text, change the size, switch OpenType features like ligatures and small caps, and move variable-font sliders.
Inspect and use
Browse every glyph with its outline, check language coverage, read the licence and copy ready-made @font-face CSS.
About .PCF files
What a .PCF file is, and what's inside it.
A PCF file is a Valve Source Engine particle system file, used in games like Team Fortress 2, CS:GO, Half-Life 2, and Left 4 Dead to define effects such as fire, smoke, and explosions. To open one, use the Source SDK Particle Editor, available free through Steam. Regular players do not need to interact with PCF files; they are relevant to modders and level designers.
Programs that open .PCF files
| Full name | Valve Source Particle Cache File |
|---|---|
| Developer | Valve Corporation |
| First released | 2007 (The Orange Box / Team Fortress 2 era; replaced hardcoded engine particles) |
| Category | Fonts |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Signature | 56 44 4D 58 " |
Related viewers
Other free viewers that work the same way.
Does opening a .PCF file install it on my computer?
No. The font is loaded only inside this browser tab and disappears when you close it. Nothing is installed or uploaded.
How do I know which languages a font supports?
Open the Languages tab. We check the font's character map against the letters each language needs, for example ą ć ę ł ń ó ś ź ż for Polish, and show what's missing.
What are OpenType features?
Optional typographic extras built into a font: ligatures, small caps, old-style or tabular figures, fractions, stylistic sets. Switch them on and off in the Type tester to see what your font offers.
Can I use this font on my website?
Technically yes. Copy the @font-face CSS from the side panel. Legally, check the licence shown in the font info: many fonts are free (SIL Open Font License), others need a web licence.
Why does my Type 1 font look like an image?
Browsers can't use Type 1 fonts, so we render a specimen with Ghostscript instead. You can still type your own sample text and zoom in.
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