diff --git a/backends/x/x.go b/backends/x/x.go
index 606602f..ec588e3 100644
--- a/backends/x/x.go
+++ b/backends/x/x.go
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 package x
 
 import "image"
-// import "golang.org/x/image/font"
-// import "golang.org/x/image/font/basicfont"
+import "golang.org/x/image/font"
+import "golang.org/x/image/font/basicfont"
 
 import "github.com/jezek/xgb"
 import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil"
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil/xevent"
 import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil/xwindow"
 import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil/xgraphics"
 
+
 import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/stone"
 
 type Backend struct {
@@ -27,6 +28,10 @@ type Backend struct {
 		after  chan(struct { })
 		quit   chan(struct { })
 	}
+
+	font struct {
+		face font.Face
+	}
 	
 	metrics struct {
 		windowWidth  int
@@ -141,6 +146,7 @@ func (backend *Backend) handleXEvent (event xgb.Event) {
 			// backend.canvas.Scale (
 				// backend.metrics.windowWidth,
 				// backend.metrics.windowHeight)
+			backend.drawRune(8, 16, 'X')
 			backend.bindCanvas()
 		}
 	}
@@ -193,6 +199,10 @@ func (backend *Backend) bindCanvas () {
 	backend.canvas.XPaint(backend.window.Id)
 }
 
+func (backend *Backend) drawRune (x, y int, character rune) {
+	
+}
+
 // factory instantiates an X backend.
 func factory (application *stone.Application) (output stone.Backend, err error) {
 	backend := &Backend {
@@ -200,10 +210,16 @@ func factory (application *stone.Application) (output stone.Backend, err error)
 		config:      application.Config(),
 	}
 
+	// load font
+	// TODO: load this from a file
+	backend.font.face = basicfont.Face7x13
+
 	// calculate metrics
-	// TODO: base these off of font metrics
-	backend.metrics.cellWidth  = 8
-	backend.metrics.cellHeight = 16
+	metrics := backend.font.face.Metrics()
+	glyphAdvance, _ := backend.font.face.GlyphAdvance('M')
+	backend.metrics.cellWidth  = glyphAdvance.Round()
+	backend.metrics.cellHeight = metrics.Height.Round()
+	backend.metrics.descent    = metrics.Descent.Round()
 	backend.metrics.padding =
 		backend.config.Padding() *
 		backend.metrics.cellHeight