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News:

PDF::Builder v3.028 Released, 31 December 2025
   Please also see the CPAN listing, the GitHub entry, and the latest changes list.


A Thought…

Some humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying ‘End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH,’ the paint wouldn’t even have time to dry.

   — Terry Pratchett

NAME

PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::BdFont - Module for using bitmapped Fonts

Inherits from PDF::Builder::Resource::Font

SYNOPSIS

    #
    use PDF::Builder;
    #
    $pdf = PDF::Builder->new();
    $sft = $pdf->bdfont($file);
    #

This creates a bitmapped font from a .bdf (bitmap distribution font) file. The default is to use square elements, and the style can be changed to use filled dots (looking more like a dot-matrix printer). The font will be embedded in the PDF file.

Bitmapped fonts are quite rough, low resolution, and difficult to read, so unless you're a sadist who wants to force readers back to the good old days of dot-matrix printers and bitmapped X terminals, try to limit the use of such a font to decorative or novelty effects, such as chapter titles and major headings. Have mercy on your readers and use a real font (TrueType, etc.) for body text!

METHODS

new

    $font = PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::BdFont->new($pdf, $font, %opts)

Returns a BmpFont object.

Valid options (%opts) are:

style

A value of 'block' (the default) assembles a character from contiguous square blocks. A value of 'dot' assembles a character from overlapping filled circles, in the style of a dot matrix printer.

AUTHOR

Alfred Reibenschuh, extensively rewritten by Phil Perry

NAVIGATION LINKS

Up (Parents)

Master Index
PDF::Builder -- Facilitates the creation and modification of PDF files
PDF::Builder::Resource -- Base class for PDF resources
PDF::Builder::Resource::Font -- Some common support routines for font files

Siblings

PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::CoreFont -- Module for using the 14 standard PDF built-in Fonts (plus 15 Windows Fonts)
PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::Postscript -- Support routines for using PostScript (Type 1) fonts
PDF::Builder::Resource::Font::SynFont -- Module for creating temporary synthetic Fonts

 

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Last updated Thu, 01 Jan 2026 at 7:54 PM

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Sun, 14 Jun 2026 at 9:44 AM EDT