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Bitcoin => Bitcoin Discussion => Topic started by: Dabs on March 27, 2013, 04:48:08 AM



Title: Best font to display or print for private key?
Post by: Dabs on March 27, 2013, 04:48:08 AM
As the title implies, I want to make a paper wallet or perhaps a sculpture or engraving or etching of some private keys.

Any suggestions on what is a good font, readily or freely available? I understand that base58check already considers similar looking characters, and people may suggest monospaced fonts like Courier.

This is for human readable hard copies. So it can be imported into Bitcoin-Qt manually, by hand. Of course I will use a large enough size, so maybe only 1 private key per line.

I was thinking of Consolas for monospace, and for proportional even Arial works (or Calibri.) I've even looked at OCR fonts, but they look ugly.

I saw that picture of a tungsten bar which was laser engraved, but I think that's a little too much for me. I can do with plastic or wood or even simple anodized aluminum. I wouldn't go with steel unless it was stainless with a high chrome content as I fear it will rust, even though I know marine stainless steel lasts very long.

But for starters, I will just print on nice thick paper and keep it safe.

Makes me wonder if I should put QR codes there, but then I can store less keys on each sheet of paper, and I'd need a QR scanner. Maybe I keep two backups or just include both human readable and QR codes.

If you have pictures (not your actual keys of course, but samples) then that would be great.

I'm also thinking of getting embroidery done. Maybe the alphabet of base58 then just stitch the correct sequence myself.


Title: Re: Best font to display or print for private key?
Post by: BTC Books on March 27, 2013, 06:02:46 AM
Fonts are a very personal thing.  I would suggest that font which you have enjoyed the most - whichever is the most readable and least intrusive - to you.


Title: Re: Best font to display or print for private key?
Post by: onelineproof on March 27, 2013, 06:14:17 AM
I do QR code + some normal font (don't know which one) - One 8x11 '' paper per private key. Then just stick the paper in plastic wrapping, and in a safe place.

edit: Attached image from my custom program (cwallet)

https://piratelinux.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ss_btc3.png


Title: Re: Best font to display or print for private key?
Post by: kjj on March 27, 2013, 11:04:46 AM
OCR-A is indeed ugly.  But it was designed to enable OCR in the 60s.  It also has the advantage that all glyphs are distinct.

On my paper wallet sheets, I include several QR codes, barcodes, OCR-A and human-friendly printed versions of everything.  Just in case.


Title: Re: Best font to display or print for private key?
Post by: gopher on March 27, 2013, 11:10:03 AM
OCR-B is the most readable

Palatino Linotype is friendlier to the eyes though