LED Sign Fonts

The Font Datafile

If you would like to change the font, all you need to do is change the letters in the font file . In the font file, '#' represents "on" LEDs and ' ' (space) represents "off" LEDs. Making new fonts can be a bit tedious, but I have found a reasonably easy way to create font files.

First select a font in xfontsel that looks clean. You'll probably want the font to be 12pt or less.
Next go into your favorite graphics program that will allow you to load that font and type out the entire character set in black on white.
Now save the image as a XPM. "more" the XPM file. You'll see that the font has been stored in ascii format.
Change all the "on" pixels to '#' and the "off" pixels to ' ' (space).
Format the file to comply with the font data file format. NOTE: Letters must be placed in the vertical space how they are to appear on the sign. Check out the upper case letters in the font file . Notice how they have two blank lines below them. This is because they do not go below the base line like the 'y'.
Ta Da! A new font!!

NOTE:

The height of the font determines the height of the sign. If the font is 12 pixels high, then the sign will be 12 LEDs high.