---
name: "pk2bm"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "texlive-doc"
version: "2026.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pk2bm"
---

# pk2bm(1)

create a bitmap from a TeX pkfont

## NAME

pk2bm - create a bitmap from a TeX pkfont

## SYNOPSIS:

pk2bm \[-bh\] \[-W*width*\] \[-H*height*\] -c*char* pkfont

pk2bm \[-bh\] \[-W*width*\] \[-H*height*\] -o*octchar* pkfont

## DESCRIPTION

This program generates a bitmap (ASCII file) which can be used to create X11 applications. The bitmap file consists of all pixels of the specified character (via the -c or -o option) from  the given pkfont. The format is described in bitmap(X11).

The pkfont is a packed fontfile generated by gftopk(TeX) from a  gffont. A gffont is the output of METAFONT a program to design fonts in a device independent way.

With the -b flag a bitmap is generated in which all black pixels are drawn as a \`\*' and all white bits as a \`.'. With the -h flag a  hexadecimal bitmap dump is generated.

The -W and/or -H options can be used to create a bitmap of respectivally \`width' and \`height' pixels. The pk-bitmap will in this case be centered according to these new dimensions.

The output is written to the standard output.

## SEE ALSO

```
`METAFONT', Donald Knuth.
`The PKtype processor', belonging to the METAFONTware.
bitmap(X11),
gftopk(TeX),
pktype(TeX),
ps2pk(1)
```

## AUTHOR

```
Piet Tutelaers
Maintained in TeX Live; please send bug reports or other correspondence
to tex-k@tug.org (https://lists.tug.org/tex-k).
```