What is an EOT file?
EOT is a font format that only ever worked in old versions of Internet Explorer. Nothing needs it today, so an EOT you have inherited is worth converting to WOFF2 and forgetting about. EOT is listed here for reference. It is not one this site can convert.
Specification
| Full name | Embedded OpenType |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .eot |
| Media type | application/vnd.ms-fontobject |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless, depending on the mode |
| Transparency | — |
| Animation | — |
| Multiple pages | — |
| Colour depth | OpenType payload with root string URL binding and MTX compression |
| Size limits | — |
| Introduced | 1997 |
| Developed by | Microsoft |
| Standard | Proprietary |
| Browser support | Not displayed by browsers |
What EOT is used for
- Legacy web font stacks that still target Internet Explorer 8 and earlier
- Archived intranet sites built during the IE-only era
- Recovering a font from an old site that shipped only EOT
Strengths and limitations
What EOT does well
- The only way to use a custom web font in Internet Explorer 8 and below
- Tying a font to one site gave foundries a licensing story at the time
Where EOT falls short
- No browser except Internet Explorer ever supported it, and IE is retired
- Proprietary, with tooling that has largely disappeared
- That protection was trivial to bypass, so it was never real
Questions about EOT
What is a .eot file?
EOT is a font format that only ever worked in old versions of Internet Explorer. The extension .eot identifies it, and its media type is application/vnd.ms-fontobject.
How do I open an EOT file?
Browsers do not display EOT natively, so you either need software that understands it or you convert it to something more common first. Converting is usually the faster route when you only need to look at the contents once.
Is EOT lossy or lossless?
Lossy or lossless, depending on the mode. Check which mode a particular file used before assuming anything about its quality.
What is EOT good for?
The only way to use a custom web font in Internet Explorer 8 and below. Tying a font to one site gave foundries a licensing story at the time. In practice that makes it a good fit for legacy web font stacks that still target Internet Explorer 8 and earlier, and Archived intranet sites built during the IE-only era.
What are the drawbacks of EOT?
No browser except Internet Explorer ever supported it, and IE is retired. Proprietary, with tooling that has largely disappeared. That protection was trivial to bypass, so it was never real.