Retro Byte Slab

The x-height is a compact 66.7% of the cap height, below the 78.9% median for pixel fonts, lower than 8 of the 11 other pixel fonts. Ascenders on b, d, h, k and l line up with the capitals (100% of their height), and descenders on g, j, p, q and y drop 33.3% of the cap height below the baseline, deeper than 9 of the 11 other pixel fonts. It sets narrow: an average lowercase letter, spacing included, is 73.8% as wide as the capitals are tall (an average capital, 93.4%), 10.3% less than the median for pixel fonts, so more words fit on a line. The o is close to a circle, 1.12 times as wide as it is tall, and W is the widest capital, at 1.16 times the width of H. O stands exactly as tall as H and sits on the baseline, with no overshoot.

The letters stand upright, with no measurable slant. Vertical stems measure 16.7% of the cap height, heavier than 3 of the 5 other pixel fonts. Ink covers 30.4% of each lowercase letter's box (its advance width by the cap height), darker than 8 of the 11 other pixel fonts. The letters are built on a square pixel grid.

Its 148 characters include 105 Latin letters, plus 43 figures, punctuation marks and symbols; 53 of the Latin letters are accented or special forms beyond A to Z. The word space measures 33.9% of the cap height, and the blank space either side of a lowercase letter takes up 7.8% of its width. Spacing is adjusted with 104 kerning pairs, more than 10 of the 11 other pixel fonts. The tightest of them is AY, which closes up by 23.9% of the cap height. The figures have different widths, so columns of numbers set in Retro Byte Slab will not line up exactly.

Retro Byte Slab is drawn on the same letter structure as 9 other fonts in the library. Compared with Retro Byte Slab, Memo Italic Mono keeps the letters plain, without the pixel effect, leans about 9° and sets 17% wider. Circus Tuscan adds Tuscan spurs, sets 14% wider and puts down 36% more ink. Harbor Slab keeps the letters plain, without the pixel effect.