3.1. Bitmap and Scalable Fonts
Bitmap fonts
A bitmap font is made of a fixed bit pattern (Figure 3.1.). This pattern is stored in a special format for use in the printer. Bitmap fonts have a fixed height (size) for each char- acter. Therefore, different font sets are required for different font sizes. For example,
Figure 3.1. Bitmap Font Character
Scalable fonts
Scalable fonts provide the outline of the characters (Figure 3.2.). This outline is scaled according to the scaling informa- tion from the computer and filled in for printing. Depending on the capabilities of the software you use, the scalable fonts can be scaled from 0.25 point to 999.75 points in quarter point increments.
