What Are OpenType Fonts?

OpenType is a format for scalable computer fonts. It was built on its predecessor TrueType, retaining TrueType’s basic structure and adding many intricate data structures for prescribing typographic behavior. OpenType is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The two main benefits of the OpenType format are its cross-platform compatibility (the same font file works on Macintosh and Windows computers), and its ability to support widely expanded character sets and layout features.

OpenType uses the general SFNT (spline font or scalable font) structure of a TrueType font, but it adds several smartfont options that enhance the font’s typographic and language support capabilities.