Pixel Font Guide

Adobe Photoshop

1. Pixel fonts from Pixilate should always be used at size 8 pixels or multiples of 8 (16,24,etc). Otherwise, the font will look distorted
2. Turn Anti-aliasing off.
3. Make sure your resolution is 72 dpi
4. Align your text left.
5. Make sure the character width is at 100%
6. If you kern or track your text, make sure it is in multiples of 50.
   

Download a Tool Preset for Photoshop 7.0 (uses free Ladybug font)

Macromedia Fireworks

1. Pixel fonts from Pixilate should always be used at size 8 pixels or multiples of 8 (16,24,etc). Otherwise, the font will look distorted
2. Turn Anti-aliasing off.
3. Make sure Auto kern is off
4. Make sure the character width is at 100%
5. If you kern or track your text, make sure it is in multiples of 5.

Download a style file for Fireworks (uses free Ladybug font)

Macromedia Flash

 

1. On the View menu, turn "snap to pixels" on. It will make everything easier.
2. Pixel fonts from Pixilate should always be used at size 8 pixels or multiples of 8 (16,24,etc). Otherwise, the font will look distorted or blurry.
3. Align your text left or right, not center or justified.
4. Turn Auto Kern is off
5. Make sure the text box is positioned on whole pixel values. That it, the X and Y values should end in .0.
   
6. If you place your text within a movie clip, the clip, and all other objects inside it must also be positioned on whole pixel values. Do not scale the movieclip. Make sure it is at 100% size.
7. When using dynamic text, you must specify which characters must be embedded. To do this, press the "Character" button and select the characters you will be using.
8. Make sure "use device fonts" is NOT selected.
9. Export your movie at the size you designed it. If you use a percentage, or a different dimension, pixel fonts will be blurry.

Download a sample file for Flash MX (uses free Ladybug font)