playing with adafruit circuitpython-fonts package

circuitpython_font_play_code_simple.py

# circuitpython_font_play_code_simple.py -- playing w adafruit circuitpython-fonts
# 8 Aug 2025 - @todbot / Tod Kurt
# developed on a Lilygo T-Display S3 w/ ST7789 display in paralleldisplaybus mode
# To use this, first install 'circup' and do what's described here:
#   https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython-fonts/
# e.g.: 
#  circup bundle-add adafruit/circuitpython-fonts # You only need to do this once
#  circup show | grep 48 | grep font   # find fonts that are size 48 
#  circup install font_... # find a font you like & install it, like:
#  circup install font_raleway_medium_48
#  circup install font_ostrich_sans_bold_48
#  circup install font_league_gothic_italic_48
#  circup install font font_fanwood_webfont_48
#  circup install font_orbitron_light_webfont_48
#  circup install font_league_gothic_regular_48
# 

import time, math, random, gc, os
import board
import keypad
import displayio
import terminalio
from adafruit_display_text.bitmap_label import Label

from font_raleway_medium_48 import FONT as font_raleway_medium_48
from font_ostrich_sans_bold_48 import FONT as font_ostrich_sans_bold_48
from font_league_gothic_italic_48 import FONT as font_league_gothic_italic_48
from font_fanwood_webfont_48 import FONT as font_fanwood_webfont_48
from font_orbitron_light_webfont_48 import FONT as font_orbitron_light_webfont_48
from font_league_gothic_regular_48 import FONT as font_league_gothic_regular_48

myfonts = [font_raleway_medium_48,
           font_ostrich_sans_bold_48,
           font_league_gothic_italic_48,
           font_fanwood_webfont_48,
           font_orbitron_light_webfont_48,
           font_league_gothic_regular_48]
font_size = 48

keys = keypad.Keys( (board.BUTTON0, board.BUTTON1), value_when_pressed=False, pull=True)

display = board.DISPLAY
display.auto_refresh = False

dw, dh = display.width, display.height

maingroup = displayio.Group()
display.root_group = maingroup
labels = displayio.Group()
maingroup.append(labels)

mycolors = (0x66ffff, 0x66ff33, 0x3333ff, 0xff33ff,
            0xff3333, 0xffcc33, 0x66ff99, 0xdddddd)

y0 = 0
for i,f in enumerate(myfonts):
    label = Label(font=f, text="Hello World!", x=5, y=y0+(font_size*i), background_tight=True)
    labels.append(label)
ymax = font_size*len(myfonts)

yinc = -1
while True:
    if key := keys.events.get():
        print(key)
        if key.key_number == 0 and key.pressed:
            yinc = yinc + 1
        if key.key_number == 1 and key.pressed:
            yinc = yinc - 1
        
    for l in labels:
        l.y = l.y + yinc        
        if l.y < -font_size/2:
            l.y = ymax
            rc = mycolors[random.randint(0,len(mycolors)-1)]
            print("color = %06x" % rc)
            l.color = rc
        
    st = time.monotonic()
    display.refresh()
    et = time.monotonic()
    #print("dt millis %d" % ((et-st)*1000)) #, button0.value, button1.value)
    #time.sleep(0.1)

circuitpyton_font_play_code.py

# circuitpython_font_play_code.py -- playing with adafruit circuitpython-fonts package
# 8 Aug 2025 - @todbot / Tod Kurt
# developed on a Lilygo T-Display S3 w/ ST7789 display in paralleldisplaybus mode
# To use this, first install 'circup' and do what's described here https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython-fonts/
# e.g.: 
#  circup bundle-add adafruit/circuitpython-fonts # You only need to do this once
#  circup show | grep 48 | grep font   # find fonts that are size 48 
#  circup install font_...    # find a find you like and install it, the fonts I installed are:
#  circup install font_raleway_medium_48
#  circup install font_ostrich_sans_bold_48
#  circup install font_league_gothic_italic_48
#  circup install font_fanwood_webfont_48
#  circup install font_orbitron_light_webfont_48
#  circup install font_league_gothic_regular_48
#  circup install adafruit_display_text
# 

import time, math, gc, os
import board
import displayio
import terminalio
from adafruit_display_text.bitmap_label import Label

# look for installed fonts from "adafruit/circuitpython-fonts"
# that were installed with "circup install font_..."
# the font names have the pattern where the last part of their name is font size
font_size = 48
font_names = []
for filename in os.listdir('/lib'):
    fnamel = filename.lower()
    if (fnamel.startswith("font_") and fnamel.endswith(str(font_size)) and
        not fnamel.startswith(".")):
        font_names.append(filename)
print("found font_names:", font_names)

# now import those font package names as actual Python packages
# using a little import magic to dynamically load 
myfonts = []
for name in font_names:
    font = __import__(name).FONT 
    myfonts.append(font)
print("loaded myfonts:", myfonts)
    
display = board.DISPLAY
display.auto_refresh = False

dw, dh = display.width, display.height

maingroup = displayio.Group()
display.root_group = maingroup
labels = displayio.Group()
maingroup.append(labels)

y0 = 0
for i,f in enumerate(myfonts):
    label = Label(font=f, text="Hello World!", x=5, y=y0+(font_size*i), background_tight=True)
    labels.append(label)
ymax = font_size*len(myfonts)

display.refresh()   # auto-refresh does not actually seem to be enabled 
display.auto_refresh = False

while True:
    for l in labels:
        l.y = l.y - 1
        if l.y < -font_size/2:
            l.y = ymax
        
    st = time.monotonic()
    display.refresh()
    et = time.monotonic()
    print("dt millis %d" % ((et-st)*1000))
    #time.sleep(0.1)
    

Video demo of the above

circuitpython_font_play.mp4