retrofont-cli
| Crates.io | retrofont-cli |
| lib.rs | retrofont-cli |
| version | 0.2.1 |
| created_at | 2025-11-09 14:40:21.00277+00 |
| updated_at | 2025-12-07 20:13:01.242247+00 |
| description | CLI for retrofont: Render and convert retro ASCII/ANSI art fonts |
| homepage | |
| repository | https://github.com/mkrueger/retrofont |
| max_upload_size | |
| id | 1924181 |
| size | 129,287 |
Mike Krüger (mkrueger)
documentation
README
retrofont-cli
Command-line interface for the retrofont library - render and convert retro ASCII/ANSI art fonts (FIGlet and TheDraw formats).
Installation
cargo install retrofont-cli
Usage
Render Text
Render text using FIGlet or TDF fonts:
# FIGlet font
retrofont render --font fonts/doom.flf --text "Hello World"
# TDF font (TheDraw)
retrofont render --font fonts/block.tdf --text "Retro"
# With custom colors (DOS palette 0-15)
retrofont render --font fonts/color.tdf --text "Color" --fg 14 --bg 1
# Edit mode (shows construction markers)
retrofont render --font fonts/outline.tdf --text "Debug" --edit
# Outline font with specific style (0-18)
retrofont render --font fonts/outline.tdf --text "Style" --outline 5
Convert Fonts
Convert between FIGlet and TDF formats:
# Convert FIGlet to TDF block font
retrofont convert --input font.flf --output font.tdf --type block
# Convert to color font (adds default DOS colors)
retrofont convert --input font.flf --output font.tdf --type color
# Convert to outline font
retrofont convert --input font.flf --output font.tdf --type outline
Inspect Fonts
View font metadata and available characters:
# Show font information
retrofont inspect --font fonts/bundle.tdf
# Output:
# Font: ANSI Shadow
# Type: Block
# Characters: 94
# Spacing: 1
Color Palette
The CLI uses the authentic DOS VGA 16-color palette:
| Index | Color | RGB (hex) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Black | #000000 |
| 1 | Blue | #0000AA |
| 2 | Green | #00AA00 |
| 3 | Cyan | #00AAAA |
| 4 | Red | #AA0000 |
| 5 | Magenta | #AA00AA |
| 6 | Brown | #AA5500 |
| 7 | Light Gray | #AAAAAA |
| 8 | Dark Gray | #555555 |
| 9 | Light Blue | #5555FF |
| 10 | Light Green | #55FF55 |
| 11 | Light Cyan | #55FFFF |
| 12 | Light Red | #FF5555 |
| 13 | Light Magenta | #FF55FF |
| 14 | Yellow | #FFFF55 |
| 15 | White | #FFFFFF |
Outline Styles
For outline fonts, 19 different rendering styles are available (0-18). Each style uses different box-drawing characters for rendering the font outlines.
Supported Formats
- FIGlet (.flf): ASCII art fonts with hard blank support
- FIGlet ZIP (.flf as .zip): Compressed FIGlet fonts
- TheDraw (.tdf): DOS-era ANSI art fonts with color and outline support
- TDF Bundles: Multiple fonts in a single .tdf file
Examples
# Render a banner
retrofont render --font fonts/banner.flf --text "WELCOME"
# Create colored output
retrofont render --font fonts/color.tdf --text "Rainbow" --fg 14 --bg 1
# Convert and render
retrofont convert --input ascii.flf --output ascii.tdf --type color
retrofont render --font ascii.tdf --text "Converted!" --fg 10
# Inspect a font bundle
retrofont inspect --font fonts/collection.tdf
Terminal Requirements
- UTF-8 support for proper box-drawing characters
- 256-color or truecolor support for accurate color rendering
- Monospace font recommended for proper alignment
License
This project is licensed under either of:
- Apache License, Version 2.0 (LICENSE-APACHE)
- MIT license (LICENSE-MIT)
at your option.
See Also
- retrofont library - The core library
- Repository - Source code and issues