# Windows SDL Font Size
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874
**Category:** The Garage
**Created:** [August 30, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874 "2013-08-30T00:31:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@joeman137](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/joeman137)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/1 "2013-08-30T00:31:09Z")
Hi everyone,
I’m trying to play the experiemental 0.7.1 version of the windows sdl version. I’m trying to increase the fontsize by going into the fontdata files and adding a value for font size so the file looks like this
Before:
Terminus
8
16
After:
Terminus
8
16
18
I save the file, start up the game but it’s still the same font size ☹ How do I go about increasing it? Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@kilozombie](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kilozombie)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/2 "2013-08-30T00:39:06Z")
You put
8
16
16
There are only supposed to be two numbers; remove the 8.
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### Author:  [@joeman137](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/joeman137)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/3 "2013-08-30T00:49:06Z")
I tried it while removing the 8, it’s the same font size but the letters are just more spread out. I read some documentation somewhere that stated that the format for fontdata was
I’ve tried various permutations of numbers but all it does is change the spacing between the characters but the characters themselves are still the same size. Is it that the terminus font can’t be enlarged? Did the formatting change?
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### Author:  [@Weyrling](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Weyrling)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/4 "2013-08-30T01:19:33Z")
The fields ‘height’ and ‘width’ determine how many pixels are used, if you want a larger font (ie. larger tiles) then you’d want to use something like
`
Terminus
12
24`
The last field already defaults to 16, and usually doesn’t need to be changed, unless you are using a particularly nonstandard font.
---
### Author:  [@kenoxite](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kenoxite)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2013, 10:29am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/5 "2013-08-30T10:29:55Z")
[quote=“joeman137, post:3, topic:2874”]I read some documentation somewhere that stated that the format for fontdata was
[/quote] That must have been from the wiki. The information was intended to be used mainly with square fonts.
> [@Weyrling](#):
>
> The last field already defaults to 16, and usually doesn’t need to be changed, unless you are using a particularly nonstandard font.
The last one allows you to fine tune further how the font will be displayed. This is particularly useful, and sometimes needed, with square fonts (which would go into the "nonstandard font"s you mention).
I personally use one of those square fonts: Topaz-8. After several tests I finally ended up using a fixed 12pt size for all fields, and a viewport size of x:28 y:29 for my 1360x768 desktop resolution. Small enough font size so it’s still readable and big enough for a good gameworld display area.
I also found that using a too small font size (like 12,12,8) created some bad headaches after playing for a while, mainly when scrolling (moving around). Maybe that’s just me, though.
---
### Author:  [@joeman137](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/joeman137)
#### Post date: [September 2, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/6 "2013-09-02T23:56:14Z")
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I played around with the fontdata file a bit more and noticed the fontlist file. I replaced Terminus with FixedsysTTF and the scaling finally kicked in. I’m not sure why but that Terminus font just wouldn’t scale, maybe it’s a windows quirk?
Anyway just throwing the information out there in case anyone can find use out of it. I gotta say it seems like this FixedsysTTF is kinda blurry scaled up, are there fonts out there that are sharper? Could someone recommend a few? Thanks 😃
---
### Author:  [@1942rob](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/1942rob)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2013, 9:05am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/7 "2013-09-03T09:05:03Z")
> [@joeman137](#):
>
> I’m not sure why but that Terminus font just wouldn’t scale, maybe it’s a windows quirk?
Terminus (or any raster font) only have a few supported sizes and doesn’t scale well/at all, BUT it will as a tradeoff render noticeably faster than non-raster fonts on slower systems.
---
### Author:  [@Ratha](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Ratha)
#### Post date: [September 9, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/windows-sdl-font-size/2874/8 "2013-09-09T02:29:05Z")
[http://postimg.org/image/5j7lqqc6t/full/](http://postimg.org/image/5j7lqqc6t/full/) - In game picture
[http://www.fonts2u.com/topaz-8.font](http://www.fonts2u.com/topaz-8.font) - Better display of the font and download link (grab the zip from font-face, rather than the exe with the download button)
Topaz-8 is bold, square, and enlarged over the default font for easier readability, here are my settings that allow it to fit a 1920x1080 desktop resolution perfectly. (In windows right click the title bar and use the move command with control+arrow keys to move it into pixel perfect position if wanted.) Works best on Curses version. SDL previously when tested would squish/skew the font slightly.
Fontdata:
Topaz-8
16
18
Ingame settings:
32 width
29 height
(Note that its not -perfectly- square with my setting of 16x18, i made it slightly taller for easier readability, less corruption on resizing, and better screen fit)