---
title: "Big Character Program"
id: 76328
type: "computer_media"
slug: "big-character-program"
url: "http://localhost/computer_media/big-character-program/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/computer_media/big-character-program.md"
published_at: "2026-11-11T08:03:10+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-11-11T08:03:10+00:00"
author: "David Anderson"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/big-character-program-1.png"
excerpt: "Prints text eight times bigger than normal."
post_tag:
  - name: "Downloadable"
    slug: "downloadable"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/downloadable/"
  - name: "ZX80"
    slug: "zx80"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/zx80/"
model:
  - name: "Sinclair ZX80"
    slug: "zx80"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/zx80/"
genre:
  - name: "Graphics"
    slug: "graphics"
    taxonomy: "genre"
    url: "http://localhost/type/graphics/"
media_type: "Program"
download_url: "https://archive.org/download/timex-sinclair-software-archive/Big%20Character%20Program%20%281980%29%28-%29%28ZX80%29%28US%29%28Program%29.zip"
mediadate: "1980"
images:
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/big-character-program-1.png"
  - url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/big-character-program-2.png"
article_media:
  - id: 19206
    title: "Big Character Program"
    type: "article"
    url: "http://localhost/article/big-character-program/"
media_type_tags: "Graphics"
license: false
---

# Big Character Program

Prints text eight times bigger than normal. Type four characters and NEWLINE: the program reads each character’s 8×8 pattern from the 4K ROM character set and prints it as a block of graphic squares, so the four letters fill the width of the screen. The next four go on the second line, and the third set clears the screen and starts again at the top.

Change lines 140 and 160 to draw the letters with other symbols. Exit with NEWLINE at the prompt and BREAK.

Published in Syntax December 1980 ([Big Character Program](https://timexsinclair.com/article/big-character-program/)).

## Source Code

```
   5 DIM C(4)
   7 LET K=0
  10 INPUT A$
  11 PRINT
  15 LET K=K+1
  17 IF K<3 THEN GO TO 20
  18 CLS
  19 LET K=1
  20 FOR X=1 TO 4
  30 LET C(X)=CODE(A$)
  40 LET A$=TL$(A$)
  50 NEXT X
  60 FOR L=1 TO 8
  70 FOR D=1 TO 4
  80 LET Q=PEEK(C(D)*8+3583+L)
 100 LET B=8
 110 LET B=B-1
 115 IF B<0 THEN GO TO 200
 120 IF Q<2**B THEN GO TO 160
 130 LET Q=Q-2**B
 140 PRINT CHR$(128);
 150 GO TO 110
 160 PRINT " ";
 170 GO TO 110
 200 NEXT D
 210 NEXT L
 220 GO TO 10
```