createFont() loads a font at a chosen size; loading it large keeps text crisp when scaled

In Processing, prefer createFont(“name.otf”, size) over loadFont() to build a PFont object at runtime. The size argument sets the resolution the font is rasterized at, not a fixed on-screen size — you can still change display size later with textSize(). Loading at a large size (e.g. 1000) rasterizes the glyphs at high resolution, so text stays sharp even when drawn very large or scaled up. loadFont() bakes a fixed bitmap and is the older, less flexible route. Rodenbröker loads one font at 1000 as his default so any poster typography renders sharply at any size.

Examples

PFont sans = createFont(“sans.otf”, 1000); … textFont(sans); textSize(800); // still crisp because glyphs were rasterized at 1000

Assessment

Why prefer createFont() over loadFont() in Processing, and why load a font at size 1000 even when you will display it smaller?