[comp.windows.x] need font

Jay.Libove@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU (08/17/89)

On a Sun workstation (Sun 3 and Sun 4) with an oversized monitor
(extra high resolution) the default font is so small that it is
difficult to see.

Can someone recommend both a particular font (even a home grown
one that I could FTP) and method of getting xterm windows to use
the font so that my eyes won't be so hard pressed by my screen?

This is for X11 R2 on the Sun 3s and X11 R3 on the Sun 4s, by
the way.

Thanks!
Jay Libove                      ARPA: jl42@andrew.cmu.edu, libove@cs.cmu.edu
5731 Centre Avenue, Apt 3	BITNET: jl42@andrew
Pittsburgh, PA 15206		UUCP: uunet!nfsun!libove!libove
(412) 362-8983			UUCP: psuvax1!pitt!darth!libove!libove

erc@pai.UUCP (Eric Johnson) (08/18/89)

In article <8908171641.AA25084@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>, Jay.Libove@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU writes:
> On a Sun workstation (Sun 3 and Sun 4) with an oversized monitor
> (extra high resolution) the default font is so small that it is
> difficult to see.
> 
> Can someone recommend both a particular font (even a home grown
> one that I could FTP) and method of getting xterm windows to use
> the font so that my eyes won't be so hard pressed by my screen?
> 
> This is for X11 R2 on the Sun 3s and X11 R3 on the Sun 4s, by
> the way.
> 
> Thanks!
> Jay Libove                      ARPA: jl42@andrew.cmu.edu, libove@cs.cmu.edu
> 5731 Centre Avenue, Apt 3	BITNET: jl42@andrew
> Pittsburgh, PA 15206		UUCP: uunet!nfsun!libove!libove
> (412) 362-8983			UUCP: psuvax1!pitt!darth!libove!libove

Hope this helps:

1) Look in the xterm, et. al. man pages.

2) I believe you can specify a font to xterm by using the
-fn FontName  command-line argument:

% xterm -fn 9x15

for example.  The 9x15 font is larger than the normal default X font.
This font should be installed on your system.

3) To find out which fonts are installed on any X system, use the
program xlsfonts.  xlsfonts will list out all the font names.  If you 
have a generic MIT release, you may see a lot of adobe and bitstream
fonts--most, though, are proportionally spaced--which doesn't make
for a good xterm font.

4) To see what any font looks like, use the xfd program:
% xfd FontName

5) Many x clients (applications) will take a -fn or -font command-line
argument to specify the font name.  Try it out.

6) When all else fails, read the man pages or documentation associated
with the programs you want to set the fonts for.

In summary, you probably already have plenty of good larger-sized fonts.
Try xterm -fn FontName to test them out.  

Good luck,
-Eric


-- 
Eric F. Johnson, Prime Automation, Inc. 
415 W. Travelers Trail, Burnsville, MN 55337 USA.  Phone: +1 612-894-0313. 
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envbvs@epb2.lbl.gov (Brian V. Smith) (08/20/89)

< In article <8908171641.AA25084@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>, Jay.Libove@IUS3.IUS.CS.CMU.EDU writes:
< > On a Sun workstation (Sun 3 and Sun 4) with an oversized monitor
< > (extra high resolution) the default font is so small that it is
< > difficult to see.
< > 
< > Can someone recommend both a particular font (even a home grown
< > one that I could FTP) and method of getting xterm windows to use
< > the font so that my eyes won't be so hard pressed by my screen?
< > 

In article <634@pai.UUCP> erc@pai.UUCP (Eric Johnson) writes:
< Hope this helps:
< 
...
< 
< 2) I believe you can specify a font to xterm by using the
< -fn FontName  command-line argument:
< 
< % xterm -fn 9x15
< 
< for example.  The 9x15 font is larger than the normal default X font.
< This font should be installed on your system.
< 
more ....
< 
< In summary, you probably already have plenty of good larger-sized fonts.
< Try xterm -fn FontName to test them out.  
< 

Unfortunately, 9x15 seems to be the largest "clean looking" font that is 
usable for xterm.  There are other, larger fixed-spacing fonts (variable spacing
fonts just don't work at all in xterm), but they just look "strange" (figure
that one out 8-} )

It would be nice if there were, say a 11x17 or something that size that
had the same "style" as the 8x13 and 9x15 fonts.   Anyone feel ambitious?

_____________________________________
Brian V. Smith    (bvsmith@lbl.gov)
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
We don't need no signatures!