FON (bitmap font)
Also known as: .fon file, Windows bitmap font, FON font
FON is an old Windows font format that stores fonts as bitmaps — fixed-pixel images of each character — rather than scalable outlines. It was used for system fonts in early Windows and only renders well at its built-in sizes.
- Old Windows bitmap (non-scalable) font format
- Glyphs are fixed-size images, not outlines
- Superseded by TrueType and OpenType
Bitmap vs outline fonts
A FON font ships pre-drawn glyphs at specific pixel sizes. Because they are bitmaps, not outlines, scaling them up makes them blocky, unlike TrueType or OpenType fonts that stay crisp at any size.
Classic Windows fonts like the original System and Terminal faces lived in FON files, often bundled inside the related FNT resources.
FON today
Modern apps expect scalable fonts, so FON is legacy. New work uses TTF or OTF; FON mainly survives for retro and terminal aesthetics.