#bitmapfont — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #bitmapfont, aggregated by home.social.
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"What is a BDF font and how do i use it?"
My new blog, in the year 2026: https://home.octetfont.com/blog/2026-08-10/bdf-what-how.html
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"What is a BDF font and how do i use it?"
My new blog, in the year 2026: https://home.octetfont.com/blog/2026-08-10/bdf-what-how.html
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I have been using xmbdfed (the Motif BDF bitmap font editor) more. And experimentally making an 8x16 font, ultimately for VGA console use. My second bitmap font ever (sort of, depending how you count). Just /a to /z so far.
Part of the weird spacing is because the Hoefler proofing text has capitals and my font doesn't. But it also turns out that xmbdfed decided one day that the /n should have DWIDTH 16 not 8. So far using xmbdfed this is the most annoying quirk: it seems very keen to enforce its own opinion of the DWIDTH; and definitely won't get it right for /space.
Made entirely with xmbdfed on my Raspberry Pi 400, and vim.
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I have been using xmbdfed (the Motif BDF bitmap font editor) more. And experimentally making an 8x16 font, ultimately for VGA console use. My second bitmap font ever (sort of, depending how you count). Just /a to /z so far.
Part of the weird spacing is because the Hoefler proofing text has capitals and my font doesn't. But it also turns out that xmbdfed decided one day that the /n should have DWIDTH 16 not 8. So far using xmbdfed this is the most annoying quirk: it seems very keen to enforce its own opinion of the DWIDTH; and definitely won't get it right for /space.
Made entirely with xmbdfed on my Raspberry Pi 400, and vim.
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Source code for the XMotif BDF Editor xmbdfed now on codeberg https://codeberg.org/drj/xmbdfed
I've cleaned it up from the 4.7 release in 2004 so that it compiles in 2026, and fixed a few typos.
For me it now compiles on Raspberry Pi OS, but you may need to tweak the Makefile.
You'll also need its dependencies: libfreetype libxmu libmotif libxpm and more (that for me were already called in via dependencies of dependencies).
Having tried to make a font in both gbdfed and xmbdfed, i can report that xmbdfed crashes less. I made 3 glyphs in xmbdfed, which is 3 more than in gbdfed. I'm going to make more glyphs now.
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Source code for the XMotif BDF Editor xmbdfed now on codeberg https://codeberg.org/drj/xmbdfed
I've cleaned it up from the 4.7 release in 2004 so that it compiles in 2026, and fixed a few typos.
For me it now compiles on Raspberry Pi OS, but you may need to tweak the Makefile.
You'll also need its dependencies: libfreetype libxmu libmotif libxpm and more (that for me were already called in via dependencies of dependencies).
Having tried to make a font in both gbdfed and xmbdfed, i can report that xmbdfed crashes less. I made 3 glyphs in xmbdfed, which is 3 more than in gbdfed. I'm going to make more glyphs now.
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So if you use homebrew on macOS you should now be able to install the BDF bitmap font editor from my tap, by adding the tap, and then installing from its xmbdfed formula:
brew tap drj/tap https://codeberg.org/drj/homebrew-tap
brew install drj/tap/xmbdfed(you may need to `brew trust --formula drj/tap/xmbdfed`; i didn't, but it's possible that i somehow already trusted it)
It is an X11/Motif program, so you will need XQuartz to run it (or display it on a remote X server).
Please share this good news.
[edit: i would also welcome any and all reports of it working / not-working, since this my first homebrew formula and first time packaging xmbdfed and probably first other things]
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So if you use homebrew on macOS you should now be able to install the BDF bitmap font editor from my tap, by adding the tap, and then installing from its xmbdfed formula:
brew tap drj/tap https://codeberg.org/drj/homebrew-tap
brew install drj/tap/xmbdfed(you may need to `brew trust --formula drj/tap/xmbdfed`; i didn't, but it's possible that i somehow already trusted it)
It is an X11/Motif program, so you will need XQuartz to run it (or display it on a remote X server).
Please share this good news.
[edit: i would also welcome any and all reports of it working / not-working, since this my first homebrew formula and first time packaging xmbdfed and probably first other things]
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*Frankenstein voice* "It's alive!".
xmbdfed running on my M4 Mac after compiling. Loads of warnings, but only a couple of errors that needed tweaking away.
xmbdfed is Mark Leisher's XMotif (xm) Bitmap Distribution Format (bdf) Editor (ed). The source code i found on Wayback, because of course the original New Mexico State University server is gone. And i only found the link because of the assiduous recording of Luc Devroye, a name who everyone in the type community probably knows, but sadly his website/archival project will not be being updated. Parts of this project, and the greater enterprise, feel like sand slipping through my hands.
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*Frankenstein voice* "It's alive!".
xmbdfed running on my M4 Mac after compiling. Loads of warnings, but only a couple of errors that needed tweaking away.
xmbdfed is Mark Leisher's XMotif (xm) Bitmap Distribution Format (bdf) Editor (ed). The source code i found on Wayback, because of course the original New Mexico State University server is gone. And i only found the link because of the assiduous recording of Luc Devroye, a name who everyone in the type community probably knows, but sadly his website/archival project will not be being updated. Parts of this project, and the greater enterprise, feel like sand slipping through my hands.
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I have a crazy idea and it is that we should have a World Bitmap Font Week, to celebrate the culture of bitmap fonts, and perhaps pay thanks for their work and contributions to society. Also we can make some fonts.
At this stage it is just an idea, but with a few more people i think we could have a few coordinated blog posts, and maybe some tools, tutorials, and even workshops? I suggest the 10 days starting 2026-10-19.
Who is in? Reply saying yes. And please boost :)
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I have a crazy idea and it is that we should have a World Bitmap Font Week, to celebrate the culture of bitmap fonts, and perhaps pay thanks for their work and contributions to society. Also we can make some fonts.
At this stage it is just an idea, but with a few more people i think we could have a few coordinated blog posts, and maybe some tools, tutorials, and even workshops? I suggest the 10 days starting 2026-10-19.
Who is in? Reply saying yes. And please boost :)
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Good news bitmap font lovers!
I am officially, not officially, (re-) releasing mac2bdf.
A found utility for converting from Classic Mac (System 6 / System 7) bitmap fonts in FONT/FOND resources to BDF, the bitmap font format used on X11.
I updated the code so that it compiles, and runs largely correctly, on something more modern than SunOS 4.x; any POSIX-ish system should do:
Share and enjoy!
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Good news bitmap font lovers!
I am officially, not officially, (re-) releasing mac2bdf.
A found utility for converting from Classic Mac (System 6 / System 7) bitmap fonts in FONT/FOND resources to BDF, the bitmap font format used on X11.
I updated the code so that it compiles, and runs largely correctly, on something more modern than SunOS 4.x; any POSIX-ish system should do:
Share and enjoy!
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I have reorganised my Decker font importing tool to be a bit more approachable - rather than starting with a list of obscure font formats, it starts with some links to collections of high-quality fonts, with instructions (and screenshots!) describing how to find the file in the specific format the importer needs.
https://screwtapello.itch.io/decker-font-importer
Shoutouts to @damieng, @patrick_h_lauke, and Rob Hagemans (no known Fediverse account) for creating and maintaining such great collections, and making them available for other creators to use.
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I have reorganised my Decker font importing tool to be a bit more approachable - rather than starting with a list of obscure font formats, it starts with some links to collections of high-quality fonts, with instructions (and screenshots!) describing how to find the file in the specific format the importer needs.
https://screwtapello.itch.io/decker-font-importer
Shoutouts to @damieng, @patrick_h_lauke, and Rob Hagemans (no known Fediverse account) for creating and maintaining such great collections, and making them available for other creators to use.
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The character set of the first notebook computer, the Epson HX-20, as converted to TTF by me. (in Unicode order, lol)
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The character set of the first notebook computer, the Epson HX-20, as converted to TTF by me. (in Unicode order, lol)
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I converted the very nice FT-88 bitmap fonts from TrueType to actual bitmap fonts in BDF format, so they can be useful on older, more limited platforms.
https://gitlab.com/Screwtapello/ft-88-bdf
Original source: https://u270d.eesab.fr/projets/ft-88/
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I created a new font. A bitmap font. In BDF format. The format used by X11. In ancient times. I re-read enough man pages (re-read in the sense that i already read them in the 1990s) to work out how to get, ancient, X11 apps to use my font. Here is `xman` using my BDF font. It's tiny (it's not intended to be used at this size). The font has Cap-height 10 with an em of 13-pixels. The cheap 1920x1080 TV that i am using is almost exactly 100dpi, which makes this equivalent to physical type of about 9.4pt (on 11.5pt linespacing). Haha.
This proofing is great. I am immediately off to edit the font :)
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I created a new font. A bitmap font. In BDF format. The format used by X11. In ancient times. I re-read enough man pages (re-read in the sense that i already read them in the 1990s) to work out how to get, ancient, X11 apps to use my font. Here is `xman` using my BDF font. It's tiny (it's not intended to be used at this size). The font has Cap-height 10 with an em of 13-pixels. The cheap 1920x1080 TV that i am using is almost exactly 100dpi, which makes this equivalent to physical type of about 9.4pt (on 11.5pt linespacing). Haha.
This proofing is great. I am immediately off to edit the font :)
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discmaster has this quite cute PNG rendering of a BDF file (Bitmap Distribution File). Like this one, which is Sun Arioso as shipped with OpenOffice,
https://discmaster.textfiles.com/view/14464/CD_Magazyn_EXEC_nr_5.iso/Linux/PPC/OpenOffice/oo609FU_installer.tar.gz/oo609FU_installer.tar/installer/f_0217/ariob20.bdfI can't work out what program it is using, and if it is dexvert, i can't find which part. Does anyone know?
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discmaster has this quite cute PNG rendering of a BDF file (Bitmap Distribution File). Like this one, which is Sun Arioso as shipped with OpenOffice,
https://discmaster.textfiles.com/view/14464/CD_Magazyn_EXEC_nr_5.iso/Linux/PPC/OpenOffice/oo609FU_installer.tar.gz/oo609FU_installer.tar/installer/f_0217/ariob20.bdfI can't work out what program it is using, and if it is dexvert, i can't find which part. Does anyone know?
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Spritemap from the game Crossfire (i "think" the 1992 Gauntlet-like?). As a bitmap font with 24x24 tiles. https://discmaster.textfiles.com/view/38515/Linux_Games_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_July_1999.iso/tgz/glibc-sources/crossfire-0.94.2-1.src.tar.gz/crossfire-0.94.2-1.src.tar/crossfire-0.94.2.tar.gz/crossfire-0.94.2.tar/crossfire-0.94.2/lib/crossfire.bdf
There are over 3000 tiles; this is just a selection.
[discmaster is incredible]
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Spritemap from the game Crossfire (i "think" the 1992 Gauntlet-like?). As a bitmap font with 24x24 tiles. https://discmaster.textfiles.com/view/38515/Linux_Games_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_July_1999.iso/tgz/glibc-sources/crossfire-0.94.2-1.src.tar.gz/crossfire-0.94.2-1.src.tar/crossfire-0.94.2.tar.gz/crossfire-0.94.2.tar/crossfire-0.94.2/lib/crossfire.bdf
There are over 3000 tiles; this is just a selection.
[discmaster is incredible]
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Bitmap fonts, eh? What's your favourite font format? Yes, i know about TrueType (though examples would be welcome), Adobe BDF, Windows FON (a bit), PSF (a bit), Plan 9.
Please RT.
#BitmapFont -
Bitmap fonts, eh? What's your favourite font format? Yes, i know about TrueType (though examples would be welcome), Adobe BDF, Windows FON (a bit), PSF (a bit), Plan 9.
Please RT.
#BitmapFont -
8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 25
Pixelbricks
I've done a few top-heavy or bottom-heavy fonts, and even some squared off... how about a chaotic squared-off heavy font that just goes where it wants and does it condensed for good measure.
Welcome Pixelbricks!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 25
Pixelbricks
I've done a few top-heavy or bottom-heavy fonts, and even some squared off... how about a chaotic squared-off heavy font that just goes where it wants and does it condensed for good measure.
Welcome Pixelbricks!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 24
The Untouchables
Ocean gave us this 1920s prohibition romp based on the star-studded movie of the same name in 1989.
Interesting for us are the two art deco fonts - this one being the 8x8 that uses every available pixel.
I've added a lower-case in the same style and created a "Revised" version that applies the same treatment to the numerics & symbols.
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/conversions/The+Untouchables.zip
Now that other gorgeous 16x16 font...
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 24
The Untouchables
Ocean gave us this 1920s prohibition romp based on the star-studded movie of the same name in 1989.
Interesting for us are the two art deco fonts - this one being the 8x8 that uses every available pixel.
I've added a lower-case in the same style and created a "Revised" version that applies the same treatment to the numerics & symbols.
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/conversions/The+Untouchables.zip
Now that other gorgeous 16x16 font...
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 23
NLQ
A fresh new serif font that pushes to the edges of the bounding box available in 4 styles - regular, italic, bold and small.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 23
NLQ
A fresh new serif font that pushes to the edges of the bounding box available in 4 styles - regular, italic, bold and small.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 22
Slaine
Martech Games' 1987 release takes the 2000 AD comic character Slaine on a tricky-to-play atmospheric adventure.
The game actually features three fonts - a sharp digital one on the title screen, a small one for dialog and an old-style one used for the main interface which I've converted here.
The same in-game fonts were used on the CPC, C64 and ZX versions.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 22
Slaine
Martech Games' 1987 release takes the 2000 AD comic character Slaine on a tricky-to-play atmospheric adventure.
The game actually features three fonts - a sharp digital one on the title screen, a small one for dialog and an old-style one used for the main interface which I've converted here.
The same in-game fonts were used on the CPC, C64 and ZX versions.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 21
ZX Space Highway
Justin Penner's Space Highway is an great typeface that encapsulates the feel of old sci-fi covers and posters.
While Justin has made pixel fonts this one was fully scalable and just itching for an 8x8 pixel adaptation in my eyes... and so I made it.
You can find the real Space Highway and other cool free typefaces in Justin's 36 Days of Type at https://justinpenner.ca/projects/36-days-of-fonts/
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/zx-origins/ZX%20Space%20Highway.zip
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 21
ZX Space Highway
Justin Penner's Space Highway is an great typeface that encapsulates the feel of old sci-fi covers and posters.
While Justin has made pixel fonts this one was fully scalable and just itching for an 8x8 pixel adaptation in my eyes... and so I made it.
You can find the real Space Highway and other cool free typefaces in Justin's 36 Days of Type at https://justinpenner.ca/projects/36-days-of-fonts/
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/zx-origins/ZX%20Space%20Highway.zip
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 20
Street Rod 2
This 1991 DOS and Amiga game sees you attempting to acquire and then modify 1960s street hot rods and race them with plenty of engine tuning and under-the-hoot changes.
The font is a clean, easy-to-read one that is a little unusual in that it is both narrow and features a light touch of serifs for a bit of class.
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/conversions/Street%20Rod%202.zip
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 20
Street Rod 2
This 1991 DOS and Amiga game sees you attempting to acquire and then modify 1960s street hot rods and race them with plenty of engine tuning and under-the-hoot changes.
The font is a clean, easy-to-read one that is a little unusual in that it is both narrow and features a light touch of serifs for a bit of class.
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/conversions/Street%20Rod%202.zip
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 19
Got Soul
The pull between consistency and individual glyph flair in a typeface is a difficult balance to get right. I have a tendency to come up with a "style" for a font and then stick to it rigidly throughout the entire character set.
Got Soul embraces bold and then lets each glyph breathe life into its pixels whether that's wider or narrower, curvy or straight, while still feeling cohesive.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 19
Got Soul
The pull between consistency and individual glyph flair in a typeface is a difficult balance to get right. I have a tendency to come up with a "style" for a font and then stick to it rigidly throughout the entire character set.
Got Soul embraces bold and then lets each glyph breathe life into its pixels whether that's wider or narrower, curvy or straight, while still feeling cohesive.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 18
Dan Dare
A regular strip in British comic The Eagle, this brave "Pilot of the Future" is usually battling evil Mekon - a green alien with a giant head.
The game involves exploring a space station, opening doors, battling enemies and solving puzzles.
Importantly for us is the dashing comic-book style font which I've extended here with small-caps for the lower-case and additional symbols.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 18
Dan Dare
A regular strip in British comic The Eagle, this brave "Pilot of the Future" is usually battling evil Mekon - a green alien with a giant head.
The game involves exploring a space station, opening doors, battling enemies and solving puzzles.
Importantly for us is the dashing comic-book style font which I've extended here with small-caps for the lower-case and additional symbols.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 17
Crossed
I've tried variants of this a few times - the idea of lines and curves that overshoot like sticks. A previous one was called Bamboo but I unpublished it not long after as it's just had to get right.
This one I feel came off a bit better than that. Mostly readable with a lot of edge and flair - use sparingly!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 17
Crossed
I've tried variants of this a few times - the idea of lines and curves that overshoot like sticks. A previous one was called Bamboo but I unpublished it not long after as it's just had to get right.
This one I feel came off a bit better than that. Mostly readable with a lot of edge and flair - use sparingly!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 16
Stop
My first encounter with this typeface was probably Datel (of Action Replay fame) ads in Crash and Your Sinclair but it actually goes back to 1970 and was really made popular by Letraset.
I've done a couple of Stop-like fonts (including one called Datel Tribute) before but this one, recovered from GEOS floppies by way of a PDF, is a much more faithful adaptation!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 16
Stop
My first encounter with this typeface was probably Datel (of Action Replay fame) ads in Crash and Your Sinclair but it actually goes back to 1970 and was really made popular by Letraset.
I've done a couple of Stop-like fonts (including one called Datel Tribute) before but this one, recovered from GEOS floppies by way of a PDF, is a much more faithful adaptation!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 15
ForwardSlash
A very simple and clean oblique that sacrifices descenders for that maximum 8-pixel height.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 15
ForwardSlash
A very simple and clean oblique that sacrifices descenders for that maximum 8-pixel height.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 14
Typewriter
Another lost gem found among the sectors of floppy discs for GEOS this American Typewriter inspired 8x8 oozes character and pushes the pixels to the very boundary of the box.
If you use this one at least an extra pixel or two of vertical space between rows would be advised!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 14
Typewriter
Another lost gem found among the sectors of floppy discs for GEOS this American Typewriter inspired 8x8 oozes character and pushes the pixels to the very boundary of the box.
If you use this one at least an extra pixel or two of vertical space between rows would be advised!
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 13
Bubble 07
Agent Bubbles your mission, should you choose to accept it, is it infiltrate an 8-bit video game and assume the role of the main typeface.
An all-original 60s vibe fun typeface with a sneaky side.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 13
Bubble 07
Agent Bubbles your mission, should you choose to accept it, is it infiltrate an 8-bit video game and assume the role of the main typeface.
An all-original 60s vibe fun typeface with a sneaky side.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 12
The Muncher
Beam Software mostly remembered for The Hobbit and Way of the Exploding Fist but back in 1988 they also released a curious tie-in...
The Mucher is an arcade city-destroying romp featuring the T-Rex from ... The Chewits Adverts (a UK sweet/candy) .
The game was colorful and quite but importantly for us the Speccy version features a unique and on-point font!
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/conversions/The%20Muncher%20ZX.zip
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 12
The Muncher
Beam Software mostly remembered for The Hobbit and Way of the Exploding Fist but back in 1988 they also released a curious tie-in...
The Mucher is an arcade city-destroying romp featuring the T-Rex from ... The Chewits Adverts (a UK sweet/candy) .
The game was colorful and quite but importantly for us the Speccy version features a unique and on-point font!
https://dl.damieng.com/fonts/conversions/The%20Muncher%20ZX.zip
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 11
Saucer
4/5 pixel wide gylphs allow 51 characters per line on a Speccy and unlike the 3/4 pixel width can still be readable.
4 pixels can be tricky for glyphs like I, T, W and M and I went for pure clarity with Area51 in 2021.
This time there's an alternate, weird, quirky and different take on getting into 4/5 pixel widths...
Screenshots are rendered here with 8x8 so don't do it justice.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 11
Saucer
4/5 pixel wide gylphs allow 51 characters per line on a Speccy and unlike the 3/4 pixel width can still be readable.
4 pixels can be tricky for glyphs like I, T, W and M and I went for pure clarity with Area51 in 2021.
This time there's an alternate, weird, quirky and different take on getting into 4/5 pixel widths...
Screenshots are rendered here with 8x8 so don't do it justice.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 10
Helvetica9
This 9 point - presumably unofficial version - was found in Glenn Holmer's GEOS font catalog PDF likely from one of the many disks he generates that from. (There are also larger sizes but they don't fit in 8x8)
Obviously designed as proportional typeface the screenshots don't quite do it justice!
The FZX file included in the ZIP has a proportional variant.
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8x8 Font Advent Calendar 2025 Day 10
Helvetica9
This 9 point - presumably unofficial version - was found in Glenn Holmer's GEOS font catalog PDF likely from one of the many disks he generates that from. (There are also larger sizes but they don't fit in 8x8)
Obviously designed as proportional typeface the screenshots don't quite do it justice!
The FZX file included in the ZIP has a proportional variant.