: An elegant, bold sans-serif font optimized for readability at a distance. Perfect for smart thermostats or speedometers. How to Implement U8x8 Fonts in Arduino C++
The "Badge" scene (e.g., Hackaday Superconference, DEF CON) loves U8x8 fonts. A 128x32 OLED running u8x8_font_pressstart2p creates an authentic 1980s arcade feel with minimal CPU overhead.
While the U8g2 library includes hundreds of fonts, there are times when a custom font is needed—perhaps for a company logo, a special symbol set, or a display of unusual dimensions. The process typically involves:
If the built-in fonts do not match your vision, you can create a custom U8x8 font definition. Because an 8x8 character consists of exactly 8 bytes (where each byte represents one horizontal row of 8 pixels), formatting them manually is easy. A custom glyph array looks like this:
: All glyphs have a fixed width and height of 8 pixels. u8x8 fonts
Contains only capital letters, numbers, and basic punctuation. Popular U8x8 Font Styles
U8x8 fonts have several advantages that make them popular in various applications:
You can inject these custom tiles directly into your UI layout using the u8x8.drawTile() function, giving you custom logos or special characters without breaking the text-only performance framework. Pro-Tips for Maximizing Efficiency
The U8g2 library includes an impressive collection of over 700 fonts, organized into meaningful font groups that cater to different needs and languages. The font groups include: : An elegant, bold sans-serif font optimized for
// 2. (Optional) Invert colors // u8x8.setInverseFont(1);
Think of U8x8 as a compact, battery-efficient digital dashboard, while U8g2 is a full-featured graphical operating system. For very simple tasks like displaying sensor data from an Arduino Uno, U8x8 is the clear and resource-conscious winner.
This example demonstrates how to switch fonts dynamically to display different types of information—for example, using a regular font for labels and a 'numbers only' font for data.
Here is the pattern for the letter 'A' (8x8): Because an 8x8 character consists of exactly 8
If you’ve ever worked with an Arduino, ESP32, or any microcontroller and a small OLED display, you’ve likely crossed paths with the . Within that library lies a specific subset of fonts that are a lifesaver for memory-constrained projects: U8x8 fonts .
const uint8_t my_custom_u8x8_font[] U8X8_FONT_SECTION("my_custom_u8x8_font") = // Character mapping headers go here // Followed by 8 bytes per character 0x00, 0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38, 0x00, 0x00 // Example custom glyph shape ; Use code with caution. U8x8 vs. U8g2: Choosing the Right Mode
Includes only a limited set of characters to save even more space.