TFT_eSPI.h Fonts?

trevor1 · September 30, 2025, 10:47am

Hi All,

Just having fun playing with a 3.5” SPI TFT 480x320 screen …. looks great.

But, I want to use large text, to read at a distance, which limits the characters I can put on screen.

I would like to “squeeze” the font width, or make BOLD to make it more readable.

I’ve googled everything I can find on how to use the range of TFT_eSPI.h fonts, but I admit, I didn’t understand much of it and no success. How do I get to change fonts ?

My Platformio.ini

[env:nodemcu-32s]

platform = espressif32

board = nodemcu-32s

framework = arduino

monitor_speed = 115200

lib_deps =

build_flags =
-D USER_SETUP_LOADED

-D ILI9488_DRIVER

-D TFT_CS=15

-D TFT_RST=4

-D TFT_DC=2

-D TFT_MOSI=23

-D TFT_SCLK=18

-D LOAD_GLCD=1

-D LOAD_FONT2

-D LOAD_FONT3

-D LOAD_FONT4

-D LOAD_FONT6

-D LOAD_FONT7

-D LOAD_FONT8

-D LOAD_GFXFF

-D SMOOTH_FONT

-D SPI_FREQUENCY=27000000

My User_setup.h

#define LOAD_GLCD

#define LOAD_FONT2

#define LOAD_FONT3

#define LOAD_FONT4

#define LOAD_FONT6

#define LOAD_FONT7

#define LOAD_FONT8

//#define LOAD_FONT8N

#define LOAD_GFXFF

#define SMOOTH_FONT

Trevor

maxgerhardt · September 30, 2025, 8:44pm

I think github.com/Bodmer/TFT_eSPI/tree/master/examples/480 x 320/Free_Font_Demo9 is the best demo for it. It has all the built in fonts available which just have to set using

github.com/Bodmer/TFT_eSPI

examples/480%20x%20320/Free_Font_Demo/Free_Font_Demo.ino

5793878d2


      
          tft.setFreeFont(FSB9);   // Select Free Serif 9 point font, could use:
          // tft.setFreeFont(&FreeSerif9pt7b);
          tft.println();          // Free fonts plot with the baseline (imaginary line the letter A would sit on)
          // as the datum, so we must move the cursor down a line from the 0,0 position
          tft.print("Serif Bold 9pt");  // Print the font name onto the TFT screen
          
          tft.setFreeFont(FSB12);       // Select Free Serif 12 point font
          tft.println();                // Move cursor down a line
          tft.print("Serif Bold 12pt"); // Print the font name onto the TFT screen
          
          tft.setFreeFont(FSB18);       // Select Free Serif 12 point font
          tft.println();                // Move cursor down a line
          tft.print("Serif Bold 18pt"); // Print the font name onto the TFT screen

While examples like https://github.com/Bodmer/TFT_eSPI/blob/master/examples/Smooth%20Fonts/FLASH_Array/Font_Demo_1_Array/Font_Demo_1_Array.ino showcase how to include new fonts as data arrays and then use loadFont on them.

github.com/Bodmer/TFT_eSPI

examples/Smooth%20Fonts/FLASH_Array/Font_Demo_1_Array/Font_Demo_1_Array.ino

5793878d2


      
          tft.loadFont(AA_FONT_SMALL);    // Must load the font first
          
          tft.println("Small 15pt font"); // println moves cursor down for a new line
          
          tft.println(); // New line
          
          tft.print("ABC"); // print leaves cursor at end of line
          
          tft.setTextColor(TFT_CYAN, TFT_BLACK);
          tft.println("1234"); // Added to line after ABC

You should definitely try out all the free fonts of different sizes first per the Free_Front_Demo.ino

trevor1 · October 1, 2025, 8:14am

Oh wow thanks Max,

I’ll have a play thank you.

The main problem I’m having with ESP32 is finding out about all this stuff. I’m from the PIC controller world, where you chose a device and get a 1000 page datasheet, explaining everything possible

I’ll let you know how I get on.

Thank you

bobcroft · October 1, 2025, 10:41am

you should take a look at Larry Banks bb_lcd_spi library it is usable on the newer ESP32 devices and is far better than the older TFT_ESPI library. There are many examples and many predefined devices. There is no need for for the clunky individual setup files used with TFT_eSPI. fonts can be added by using an oon-line font creator.

trevor1 · October 1, 2025, 12:53pm

Great news Bob, thank you.

I’ll check that out tomorrow and let you know how I get on.

Obviously the TFT display thing is going to be just a part of any project, so any easier / more efficient way of doing things will be very valuable.

Trevor

noobmastha · October 2, 2025, 6:40am

https://rop.nl/truetype2gfx/

With this tool you can convert any ttf font and choose any size..

trevor1 · October 2, 2025, 9:42am

Thanks noobmastha,

Sounds really handy

trevor1 · October 3, 2025, 1:18pm

Well,

I’ve been distracted elsewhere and when I’ve returned, I can’t get my display working now !

Got all sorts of compiler errors all of a sudden.

It doesn’t like any of my Platformio.ini lines now …..

Warning! Could not find the package with ‘-D USER_SETUP_LOADED’ requirements for your system ‘windows_amd64’

Warning! Could not find the package with ‘-D ILI9488_DRIVER’ requirements for your system ‘windows_amd64’

Warning! Could not find the package with ‘-D LOAD_FONT4’ requirements for your system ‘windows_amd64’

and so on …

Also …

Compiling .pio\build\nodemcu-32s\libf55\Adafruit DHT Unified\DHT_U.cpp.o
In file included from .pio/libdeps/nodemcu-32s/Adafruit DHT Unified/DHT_U.cpp:22:
.pio/libdeps/nodemcu-32s/Adafruit DHT Unified/DHT_U.h:26:10: fatal error: DHT.h: No such file or directory

All very strange, was working fine yesterday !

HELP !

trevor1 · October 3, 2025, 1:32pm

Sorry guys, ignore my last post.
I’d somehow deleted the “build_flags =” line in my Platformio.ini
No idea when that happened.

; PlatformIO Project Configuration File
;
;   Build options: build flags, source filter
;   Upload options: custom upload port, speed and extra flags
;   Library options: dependencies, extra library storages
;   Advanced options: extra scripting
;
; Please visit documentation for the other options and examples
; https://docs.platformio.org/page/projectconf.html

[env:nodemcu-32s]
platform = espressif32
board = nodemcu-32s
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
lib_deps = bodmer/TFT_eSPI@^2.5.43

build_flags = 
	-D USER_SETUP_LOADED
	-D ILI9488_DRIVER
	-D TFT_CS=15
	-D TFT_RST=4
	-D TFT_DC=2
	-D TFT_MOSI=23
	-D TFT_SCLK=18
	-D LOAD_GLCD=1
	-D LOAD_FONT2
	-D LOAD_FONT3
	-D LOAD_FONT4
	-D LOAD_FONT6
	-D LOAD_FONT7
	-D LOAD_FONT8
	-D LOAD_GFXFF
	-D SMOOTH_FONT
	-D SPI_FREQUENCY=27000000

bobcroft · October 14, 2025, 5:37am

You will, no doubt, come a cross the term CYD, Cheap Yellow display. It used to refer to the original 2.8” display with an onboard ESP32 but nowadays it has become almost generic for a whole range of displays from small round displays to 7” touch screens. I mention it because there is an excellent Discord site called Blough that covers almost anything display related. The site belongs to Brian Lough and there is a lot of information on displays including the TFT_ESPI library and the bb_lcd_spi I mentioned earlier.

trevor1 · October 14, 2025, 6:44am

Thanks Bob, I’ll Google that, will be very helpful.

The biggest problem I have, is finding out what c++ commands to use, when trying to do things.

Just last night reading a text file from SD card. I read card ok, put characters on display, all good. But then I need to work on some integer numbers from the file. Trying to make “6” and “2” = number 62 took ages, because I can’t find the commands I need. Always some compiler error, that doesn’t help me much. Got there eventually, so I could add up a few numbers.

I’m learning, but need find better training type resources. Putting queries on Google leads you down so many rabbit holes.

Thank you for your help.

Trevor

aly-fly · October 23, 2025, 6:30pm

Here is my project where I am playing around with creating new fonts, loading different fonts, both from Flash and from SD Card. Using TFT_eSPI library.