Game Production -- Fonts (cont.)

A rectangle of bits, or pixels, is referred to as a bitmap.  Usually the term "pixel" means a bit with a color value and the term "bit" means just a zero (0) or a one (1).  Computer memory and display memory are composed of bytes (8 bits).  Below is the bitmap image for the text "(8" and next to it is a partial listing of the memory bits that represent the top of the figure.

As a programmer, if you can draw a character, icon, or image on a grid, or graph paper, then you can translate the description to a computer bitmap definition.  With OpenGL, the bitmap can then be colored and transferred to the screen.  Ultimately, every symbol drawn on a display must be rendered as a bitmap.

Remember that if each screen pixel (picture element) is represented by one bit, then only two colors are possible.  More bits per pixel means more colors.