# Creating a font using the old method, ClanLib API overview

You need to use a 256 color bitmap. You may draw the letters in any order, but keep in mind that colors with indexes 253, 254, 255 are reserved.

A typical font would look like this:

<img src="Images/font_old0.png"</p>

From this, one can deduce the following rules:

- color 255 is used as an "horizontal delimiter" (the white lines).
- color 254 is used as a "vertical delimiter" (the green lines).
- color 253 is used as a "carriage return" (the dark red lines), when one needs to define a font on several lines.

Save your file as a 256 coloured PCX. Note that Photoshop strangely moves index colours 253, 254, 255 to index 1,2 and 3. Don't ask why :)