tekstipohjia

Tekstipohjia refers to a design or layout approach in computer graphics, typically used in text editing and word processing applications. The concept involves arranging the graphical elements, such as text, graphics, and other visual components, in a way that optimizes the display on a fixed-width or limited-resolution display.

The popularity of tekstipohjia grew in the early days of personal computers, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, when monochrome or low-color display capabilities were prevalent. In these environments, text-based interfaces were more practical due to limited graphical capabilities. To address this limitation, designers employed various techniques to create visually appealing and informative displays on character-based LCD displays or early monochrome CRTs.

Developers used character-glyph manipulation to create visually appealing and informative displays by arranging text and glyphs efficiently on the screen. They would use a combination of carved-out letters, line drawings, and symbols to create simple but effective graphics. The word "tekstipohjia" is a Finnish term, literally translating to "text-based graphics."

Although the need for tekstipohjia diminished with the advent of modern, high-resolution displays and advancements in graphical performance, some older systems, embedded devices, and low-resolution devices may still use tekstipohjia due to hardware or resource constraints. Today, this design philosophy is mainly of interest to retro computing enthusiasts, game developers, and those working on embedded systems with limited display capabilities.