# An overview of how traditional X11 fonts actually work



## kpedersen (May 31, 2018)

Hi guys,

I have always been using Xft fonts to avoid this but I would really like to know how X11 fonts work. For example, if I use xfontsel and select:


```
-*-fixed-*-*-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*
```

I get a font that looks good (but much less than 12 pixels)

If I select:


```
-*-fixed-*-*-*-*-13-*-*-*-*-*-*
```

It randomly turns bold.

If I select:


```
-*-fixed-*-*-*-*-17-*-*-*-*-*-*
```

I get a load of Chinese (?) characters

And now if I go for (using ptSz rather than pxlsz):
The smallest size I can go for is 50pt which displays like 5pt.


```
-*-fixed-*-*-*-*-*-50-*-*-*-*-*
```

What is this madness? I have never been able to find out after 15 odd years .

Is it consistently mad? If I select the same font on i.e Debian or even Xsun, will it be the same?


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## Crivens (May 31, 2018)

Yes. Only your perception of it will vary as the universe revolves around something else.

Ok, seriously, I have no idea. I remember that there was a tool to select fonts and see at once what it was, but that was looong ago.
But it should be the same.


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## kpedersen (May 31, 2018)

Crivens said:


> Yes. Only your perception of it will vary as the universe revolves around something else.


Oh gosh, I use my laptop quite a lot when I travel. I do hope the fonts don't change too much as I travel further north.



Crivens said:


> Ok, seriously, I have no idea. I remember that there was a tool to select fonts and see at once what it was


I think that is `xfontsel`. It is the tool I am using (should be part of the Xorg distribution).
I tend to use `fc-list` to select "normal" fonts. However I just can't quite fathom X11 fonts. They seem completely bizarre and yet not much information (or cries for help) is online so it seems I assumed I must be missing something haha.


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## Crivens (May 31, 2018)

So, when you travel east, the fonts turn kinda sideways and you end up with vertical text lines. That is your chinese looking font.

But yes, it was xfontsel. Wow, back then there was no Xorg. Just plain X11R4.


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