# pktype(1) - man - phpman

[PKTYPE(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PKTYPE/1/markdown)                              General Commands Manual                             [PKTYPE(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PKTYPE/1/markdown)



## NAME
       pktype - verify and translate a packed font bitmap file to plain text

## SYNOPSIS
       **pktype** _pk_file_[pk]

## DESCRIPTION
       This  manual page is not meant to be exhaustive.  The complete documentation for this version
       of TeX can be found in the info file or manual _Web2C:_ _A_ _TeX_ _implementation_.

       The **pktype** program translates a packed font file (_pk_) (output by, for example, [**gftopk**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gftopk/1/markdown) to a
       file  that  humans  can read. It also serves as a _pk_ file-validating program (i.e., if **pktype**
       can read it, it's correct) and as an example of a _pk_-reading program for other software  that
       wants to read _pk_ files.

       The input _pk_file_ on the command line may omit the suffix `pk.  The plain text translation is
       always written to standard output.

       The output file gives a compact encoding of the packed encoding, using conventions  described
       in  the  source code. Run lengths of black pixels alternate with parenthesized run lengths of
       white pixels, and brackets are used to indicate when a row should be repeated.

## ENVIRONMENT
       **pktype** looks for _pk_file_ in the usual places according to Kpathsea.

       See [**tex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/tex/1/markdown) for the details of the searching.

## SEE ALSO
       [**dvitype**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/dvitype/1/markdown), [**gftopk**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gftopk/1/markdown), [**gftype**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gftype/1/markdown).
       Donald E. Knuth et al., _Metafontware_.

## AUTHORS
       Tomas Rokicki wrote the program, Donald E. Knuth originally ported it to Unix, Pierre  MacKay
       originally adapted it for compilation with Web2c.



Web2C 2022/dev                              16 June 2015                                   [PKTYPE(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PKTYPE/1/markdown)