diff --git a/TFTLCD.cpp b/TFTLCD.cpp
index bf5d823..1f8d292 100644
--- a/TFTLCD.cpp
+++ b/TFTLCD.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // MIT license
 
 #include "TFTLCD.h"
+#include "glcdfont.c"
 #include <avr/pgmspace.h>
 
 void TFTLCD::goHome(void) {
@@ -10,6 +11,32 @@ void TFTLCD::goHome(void) {
   writeCommand(0x0022);            // Write Data to GRAM (R22h)
 }
 
+void TFTLCD::drawString(uint16_t x, uint16_t y, char *c, 
+			uint16_t color, uint8_t size) {
+  while (c[0] != 0) {
+    drawChar(x, y, c[0], color, size);
+    x += size*6;
+    c++;
+  }
+}
+// draw a character
+void TFTLCD::drawChar(uint16_t x, uint16_t y, char c, 
+		      uint16_t color, uint8_t size) {
+  for (uint8_t i =0; i<5; i++ ) {
+    uint8_t line = pgm_read_byte(font+(c*5)+i);
+    for (uint8_t j = 0; j<8; j++) {
+      if (line & 0x1) {
+	if (size == 1) // default size
+	  drawPixel(x+i, y+j, color);
+	else {  // big size
+	  fillRect(x+i*size, y+j*size, size, size, color);
+	} 
+      }
+      line >>= 1;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // draw a rectangle
 void TFTLCD::drawRect(uint16_t x, uint16_t y, uint16_t w, uint16_t h, 
 		      uint16_t color) {
diff --git a/TFTLCD.h b/TFTLCD.h
index 4415aa1..5ca5c60 100644
--- a/TFTLCD.h
+++ b/TFTLCD.h
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ class TFTLCD {
   void fillRect(uint16_t x0, uint16_t y0, uint16_t w, uint16_t h, uint16_t color);
   void drawCircle(uint16_t x0, uint16_t y0, uint16_t r,	uint16_t color);
   void fillCircle(uint16_t x0, uint16_t y0, uint16_t r,	uint16_t color);
+  void drawChar(uint16_t x, uint16_t y, char c, uint16_t color, uint8_t s = 1);
+  void drawString(uint16_t x, uint16_t y, char *c, uint16_t color, uint8_t s = 1);
 
   // commands
   void initDisplay(void);
diff --git a/examples/graphicstest/graphicstest.pde b/examples/graphicstest/graphicstest.pde
index 5ea4de8..502f9bb 100644
--- a/examples/graphicstest/graphicstest.pde
+++ b/examples/graphicstest/graphicstest.pde
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ void setup(void) {
  
   tft.initDisplay();
   
+  tft.fillScreen(BLACK);
+  int x = 10;
+  for (uint8_t size=1; size<8; size++) {
+    tft.drawChar(x, 100, 'A', RED, size);
+    x += size * 9;
+  }
+  tft.drawString(50, 50, "hello world!", RED);
+  delay(500);
+
   testlines(CYAN);
   delay(500);
   testfastlines(RED, BLUE);