Recs.
Updated
6x13
is the classic fixed monospace bitmap font that is expected to be available on every X server. It is part of the misc-fixed family. These fonts were handcrafted for readability in a terminal.
Why bitmap fonts? At a small text size each character has a limited resolution. A character size of 6x13
pixels means only 78 pixels per character. Modern fonts are designed to be scalable, and are less legible at these small sizes. Using bitmap fonts increases legibility by eliminating scaling and sub-pixel aliasing artifacts. Some scalable fonts include "ppems" embedded bitmaps for this reason.
With a fixed 6x13
font, the number of characters in a terminal is easy to compute. Every character is 6x13
pixels, so a 1440x900
pixel display will render 240x69
characters. 6x13
is semi-condensed, meaning the characters are slightly thinner than usual so that more can be printed on a line.
The disadvantage of misc-fixed fonts is that they don't scale, which can cause problems with displays that vary wildly from traditional pixel density. Although 6x13
is the traditional fixed font, there are numerous other sizes ranging from 5x7
to 10x20
.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Legible at small sizes
At a small text size, each character has a limited resolution. A character size of 6x13 pixels means only 78 pixels per character. Modern fonts are designed to be scalable and are less legible at these small sizes. Using bitmap fonts increases legibility by eliminating scaling and sub-pixel aliasing artifacts. Some scalable fonts include "ppems" embedded bitmaps for this reason.
Cons
Con Extremely small on high-DPI screens
While it is crafted for a screen where the pixels are visible, bitmap fonts do not work well on high-DPI screens as they do not scale too well.