diff --git a/application.go b/application.go
index 811e197..d483255 100644
--- a/application.go
+++ b/application.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ func (application *Application) Run () (
 		color.RGBA { R: 0x2E, G: 0x34, B: 0x40, A: 0xFF },
 		color.RGBA { R: 0xA8, G: 0x55, B: 0x5D, A: 0xFF },
 	}
+	application.config.fontName = "DM Mono"
+	application.config.fontSize = 11
 	
 	application.config.padding = 4
 
diff --git a/backends/x/x.go b/backends/x/x.go
index d89e88c..140a0f5 100644
--- a/backends/x/x.go
+++ b/backends/x/x.go
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 package x
 
+// import "os"
 import "image"
 import "image/draw"
-import "image/color"
 import "golang.org/x/image/font"
 import "golang.org/x/image/math/fixed"
+// import "golang.org/x/image/font/opentype"
 import "golang.org/x/image/font/basicfont"
 
 import "github.com/jezek/xgb"
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ import "github.com/jezek/xgbutil/xgraphics"
 
 import "git.tebibyte.media/sashakoshka/stone"
 
+// import "github.com/flopp/go-findfont"
+
 type Backend struct {
 	application *stone.Application
 	config      *stone.Config
@@ -49,28 +52,6 @@ type Backend struct {
 	}
 }
 
-type fakeImage struct {
-	color color.Color
-}
-
-func (fake fakeImage) ColorModel () (model color.Model) {
-	model = color.RGBAModel
-	return
-}
-
-func (fake fakeImage) Bounds () (bounds image.Rectangle) {
-	bounds.Max = image.Point {
-		X: 1024,
-		Y: 1024,
-	}
-	return
-}
-
-func (fake fakeImage) At (x, y int) (pixel color.Color) {
-	pixel = fake.color
-	return
-}
-
 func (backend *Backend) Run (channel chan(stone.Event)) {
 	backend.channel = channel
 	
@@ -235,14 +216,17 @@ func (backend *Backend) reallocateCanvas () {
 }
 
 func (backend *Backend) drawRune (x, y int, character rune) {
+	// TODO: cache these draws as non-transparent buffers with the
+	// application background color as the background. that way, we won't
+	// need to redraw the characters *or* composite them.
 	_, mask, maskPoint, _, _ := backend.font.face.Glyph (
 		fixed.Point26_6 { },
 		character)
 	draw.DrawMask (
 		backend.canvas,
 		backend.boundsOfCell(x, y),
-		fakeImage {
-			color: backend.config.Color(stone.ColorForeground),
+		&image.Uniform {
+			C: backend.config.Color(stone.ColorForeground),
 		},
 		image.Point { },
 		mask,
@@ -279,8 +263,12 @@ func factory (application *stone.Application) (output stone.Backend, err error)
 	}
 
 	// load font
-	// TODO: load this from a file
-	backend.font.face = basicfont.Face7x13
+	backend.font.face = findAndLoadFont (
+		backend.config.FontName(),
+		float64(backend.config.FontSize()))
+	if backend.font.face == nil {
+		backend.font.face = basicfont.Face7x13
+	}
 
 	// pre-calculate colors
 	for index := 0; index < len(backend.colors); index ++ {
@@ -347,6 +335,23 @@ func factory (application *stone.Application) (output stone.Backend, err error)
 	return
 }
 
+func findAndLoadFont (name string, size float64) (face font.Face) {
+	// fontPath, err := findfont.Find(name)
+	// if err != nil { return }
+	// fontFile, err := os.Open(fontPath)
+	// if err != nil { return }
+	// fontObject, err := opentype.ParseReaderAt(fontFile)
+	// if err != nil { return }
+	// face, err = opentype.NewFace (fontObject, &opentype.FaceOptions {
+		// Size: size,
+		// DPI: 96,
+		// Hinting: font.HintingFull,
+	// })
+	// if err != nil { face = nil }
+	
+	return
+}
+
 // init registers this backend when the program starts.
 func init () {
 	stone.RegisterBackend(factory)
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7d11633..076f2a7 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ go 1.18
 
 require (
 	github.com/faiface/pixel v0.10.0
+	github.com/flopp/go-findfont v0.1.0
+	github.com/jezek/xgb v1.1.0
 	github.com/jezek/xgbutil v0.0.0-20210302171758-530099784e66
 	golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20190523035834-f03afa92d3ff
 )
@@ -16,6 +18,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/go-gl/gl v0.0.0-20190320180904-bf2b1f2f34d7 // indirect
 	github.com/go-gl/glfw/v3.3/glfw v0.0.0-20191125211704-12ad95a8df72 // indirect
 	github.com/go-gl/mathgl v0.0.0-20190416160123-c4601bc793c7 // indirect
-	github.com/jezek/xgb v1.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/pkg/errors v0.8.1 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/text v0.3.0 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 6390802..58f1e2a 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ github.com/faiface/mainthread v0.0.0-20171120011319-8b78f0a41ae3 h1:baVdMKlASEHr
 github.com/faiface/mainthread v0.0.0-20171120011319-8b78f0a41ae3/go.mod h1:VEPNJUlxl5KdWjDvz6Q1l+rJlxF2i6xqDeGuGAxa87M=
 github.com/faiface/pixel v0.10.0 h1:EHm3ZdQw2Ck4y51cZqFfqQpwLqNHOoXwbNEc9Dijql0=
 github.com/faiface/pixel v0.10.0/go.mod h1:lU0YYcW77vL0F1CG8oX51GXurymL45MXd57otHNLK7A=
+github.com/flopp/go-findfont v0.1.0 h1:lPn0BymDUtJo+ZkV01VS3661HL6F4qFlkhcJN55u6mU=
+github.com/flopp/go-findfont v0.1.0/go.mod h1:wKKxRDjD024Rh7VMwoU90i6ikQRCr+JTHB5n4Ejkqvw=
 github.com/go-gl/gl v0.0.0-20190320180904-bf2b1f2f34d7 h1:SCYMcCJ89LjRGwEa0tRluNRiMjZHalQZrVrvTbPh+qw=
 github.com/go-gl/gl v0.0.0-20190320180904-bf2b1f2f34d7/go.mod h1:482civXOzJJCPzJ4ZOX/pwvXBWSnzD4OKMdH4ClKGbk=
 github.com/go-gl/glfw/v3.3/glfw v0.0.0-20191125211704-12ad95a8df72 h1:b+9H1GAsx5RsjvDFLoS5zkNBzIQMuVKUYQDmxU3N5XE=
@@ -32,4 +34,5 @@ github.com/stretchr/testify v1.3.0/go.mod h1:M5WIy9Dh21IEIfnGCwXGc5bZfKNJtfHm1UV
 golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20190321063152-3fc05d484e9f/go.mod h1:kZ7UVZpmo3dzQBMxlp+ypCbDeSB+sBbTgSJuh5dn5js=
 golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20190523035834-f03afa92d3ff h1:+2zgJKVDVAz/BWSsuniCmU1kLCjL88Z8/kv39xCI9NQ=
 golang.org/x/image v0.0.0-20190523035834-f03afa92d3ff/go.mod h1:kZ7UVZpmo3dzQBMxlp+ypCbDeSB+sBbTgSJuh5dn5js=
+golang.org/x/text v0.3.0 h1:g61tztE5qeGQ89tm6NTjjM9VPIm088od1l6aSorWRWg=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=