For the sake of my finances can you please not do cool things I want to duplicate? Thanks

Looks great! Can you post links to the device? And code?

Get a better take on the 5x7 font or a higher-resolution one, the ESP32 can even handle vector fonts. You're using Adafruit's objectively ugly glcdfont:

I suggest you use this one:

::: spoiler Raw bytes

This is a drop-in replacement for the array in Adafruit's glcdfont.c.

0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x20, 0x4c, 0x40, 0x4c, 0x20, 
0x3e, 0x6b, 0x4f, 0x6b, 0x3e, 
0x0c, 0x12, 0x24, 0x12, 0x0c, 
0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08, 
0x18, 0x1e, 0x2e, 0x1e, 0x18, 
0x18, 0x1c, 0x2e, 0x1c, 0x18, 
0x1c, 0x3e, 0x3e, 0x3e, 0x1c, 
0xe3, 0xc1, 0xc1, 0xc1, 0xe3, 
0x1c, 0x22, 0x22, 0x22, 0x1c, 
0xe3, 0xdd, 0xdd, 0xdd, 0xe3, 
0x30, 0x48, 0x4a, 0x36, 0x0e, 
0x06, 0x29, 0x79, 0x29, 0x06, 
0x60, 0x60, 0x7f, 0x06, 0x1c, 
0x60, 0x7f, 0x03, 0x63, 0x7f, 
0x2a, 0x1c, 0x36, 0x1c, 0x2a, 
0x00, 0x3e, 0x1c, 0x08, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x08, 0x1c, 0x3e, 0x00, 
0x24, 0x66, 0xe7, 0x66, 0x24, 
0x00, 0x5f, 0x00, 0x5f, 0x00, 
0x06, 0x0f, 0x7f, 0x01, 0x7f, 
0x00, 0x4c, 0x57, 0x75, 0x19, 
0x60, 0x60, 0x60, 0x60, 0x60, 
0x24, 0x42, 0xff, 0x42, 0x24, 
0x08, 0x04, 0x7e, 0x04, 0x08, 
0x10, 0x20, 0x7e, 0x20, 0x10, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x2a, 0x1c, 0x08, 
0x08, 0x1c, 0x2a, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x78, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 
0x08, 0x0c, 0x2a, 0x18, 0x08, 
0x10, 0x18, 0x1c, 0x18, 0x10, 
0x04, 0x0c, 0x1c, 0x0c, 0x04, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x5f, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x07, 0x00, 0x07, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x7f, 0x14, 0x7f, 0x14, 
0x24, 0x2a, 0x7f, 0x2a, 0x12, 
0x23, 0x13, 0x08, 0x64, 0x62, 
0x36, 0x49, 0x56, 0x20, 0x50, 
0x00, 0x05, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x1c, 0x22, 0x41, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x41, 0x22, 0x1c, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x08, 0x3e, 0x08, 0x14, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x3e, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x00, 0xa0, 0x60, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x00, 0x60, 0x60, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x60, 0x10, 0x08, 0x04, 0x03, 
0x3e, 0x51, 0x49, 0x45, 0x3e, 
0x00, 0x42, 0x7f, 0x40, 0x00, 
0x42, 0x61, 0x51, 0x49, 0x46, 
0x21, 0x41, 0x45, 0x4b, 0x31, 
0x18, 0x14, 0x12, 0x7f, 0x10, 
0x27, 0x45, 0x45, 0x45, 0x39, 
0x3c, 0x4a, 0x49, 0x49, 0x30, 
0x01, 0x71, 0x09, 0x05, 0x03, 
0x36, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x36, 
0x06, 0x49, 0x49, 0x29, 0x1e, 
0x00, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0xac, 0x6c, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x41, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x00, 0x41, 0x22, 0x14, 0x08, 
0x02, 0x01, 0x51, 0x09, 0x06, 
0x3e, 0x41, 0x5d, 0x55, 0x5e, 
0x7c, 0x12, 0x11, 0x12, 0x7c, 
0x7f, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x36, 
0x3e, 0x41, 0x41, 0x41, 0x22, 
0x7f, 0x41, 0x41, 0x22, 0x1c, 
0x7f, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x41, 
0x7f, 0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x01, 
0x3e, 0x41, 0x49, 0x49, 0x7a, 
0x7f, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x7f, 
0x00, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x41, 0x00, 
0x20, 0x40, 0x41, 0x3f, 0x01, 
0x7f, 0x08, 0x14, 0x22, 0x41, 
0x7f, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 
0x7f, 0x02, 0x0c, 0x02, 0x7f, 
0x7f, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x7f, 
0x3e, 0x41, 0x41, 0x41, 0x3e, 
0x7f, 0x09, 0x09, 0x09, 0x06, 
0x3e, 0x41, 0x51, 0x61, 0xbe, 
0x7f, 0x09, 0x19, 0x29, 0x46, 
0x26, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x32, 
0x01, 0x01, 0x7f, 0x01, 0x01, 
0x3f, 0x40, 0x40, 0x40, 0x3f, 
0x1f, 0x20, 0x40, 0x20, 0x1f, 
0x3f, 0x40, 0x38, 0x40, 0x3f, 
0x63, 0x14, 0x08, 0x14, 0x63, 
0x07, 0x08, 0x70, 0x08, 0x07, 
0x61, 0x51, 0x49, 0x45, 0x43, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0x41, 0x00, 
0x03, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x60, 
0x00, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x04, 0x02, 0x01, 0x02, 0x04, 
0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 0x80, 
0x00, 0x01, 0x02, 0x04, 0x00, 
0x20, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x78, 
0x7f, 0x48, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38, 
0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x44, 0x20, 
0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x48, 0x7f, 
0x38, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x18, 
0x08, 0x7e, 0x09, 0x09, 0x02, 
0x18, 0xa4, 0xa4, 0xa4, 0x7c, 
0x7f, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x78, 
0x00, 0x44, 0x7d, 0x40, 0x00, 
0x40, 0x80, 0x84, 0x7d, 0x00, 
0x7f, 0x10, 0x28, 0x44, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x41, 0x7f, 0x40, 0x00, 
0x7c, 0x04, 0x38, 0x04, 0x78, 
0x7c, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x78, 
0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38, 
0xfc, 0x24, 0x24, 0x24, 0x18, 
0x18, 0x24, 0x24, 0x24, 0xfc, 
0x7c, 0x08, 0x04, 0x04, 0x08, 
0x48, 0x54, 0x54, 0x54, 0x20, 
0x04, 0x3f, 0x44, 0x44, 0x20, 
0x3c, 0x40, 0x40, 0x20, 0x7c, 
0x1c, 0x20, 0x40, 0x20, 0x1c, 
0x3c, 0x40, 0x30, 0x40, 0x3c, 
0x44, 0x28, 0x10, 0x28, 0x44, 
0x1c, 0xa0, 0xa0, 0xa0, 0x7c, 
0x44, 0x64, 0x54, 0x4c, 0x44, 
0x00, 0x08, 0x77, 0x41, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x41, 0x77, 0x08, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x04, 0x08, 0x10, 0x08, 
0x38, 0x24, 0x22, 0x24, 0x38, 
0x3e, 0x41, 0x41, 0xc1, 0x22, 
0x3c, 0x41, 0x40, 0x21, 0x7c, 
0x38, 0x54, 0x56, 0x55, 0x18, 
0x20, 0x56, 0x55, 0x56, 0x78, 
0x20, 0x55, 0x54, 0x55, 0x78, 
0x20, 0x55, 0x56, 0x54, 0x78, 
0x20, 0x54, 0x56, 0x55, 0x78, 
0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0xc4, 0x20, 
0x38, 0x56, 0x55, 0x56, 0x18, 
0x38, 0x55, 0x54, 0x55, 0x18, 
0x38, 0x55, 0x56, 0x54, 0x18, 
0x00, 0x45, 0x7c, 0x41, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x46, 0x7d, 0x42, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x45, 0x7e, 0x40, 0x00, 
0x78, 0x15, 0x12, 0x15, 0x78, 
0x78, 0x14, 0x13, 0x14, 0x78, 
0x7e, 0x4a, 0x4b, 0x4b, 0x42, 
0x60, 0x54, 0x78, 0x54, 0x58, 
0x7e, 0x09, 0x7f, 0x49, 0x49, 
0x38, 0x46, 0x45, 0x46, 0x38, 
0x38, 0x45, 0x44, 0x45, 0x38, 
0x38, 0x45, 0x46, 0x44, 0x38, 
0x3c, 0x42, 0x41, 0x22, 0x7c, 
0x3c, 0x41, 0x42, 0x20, 0x7c, 
0x1c, 0xa1, 0xa0, 0xa1, 0x7c, 
0x3c, 0x43, 0x42, 0x43, 0x3c, 
0x3e, 0x41, 0x40, 0x41, 0x3e, 
0x38, 0x44, 0xfe, 0x44, 0x20, 
0x48, 0x7e, 0x49, 0x49, 0x42, 
0x2b, 0x2c, 0x78, 0x2c, 0x2b, 
0x7f, 0x09, 0x06, 0x3c, 0x48, 
0x80, 0x88, 0x7e, 0x09, 0x01, 
0x20, 0x54, 0x56, 0x55, 0x78, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x44, 0x7e, 0x41, 
0x38, 0x44, 0x46, 0x45, 0x38, 
0x3c, 0x40, 0x42, 0x21, 0x7c, 
0x7c, 0x09, 0x05, 0x05, 0x78, 
0x7e, 0x05, 0x09, 0x11, 0x7e, 
0x06, 0x09, 0x0f, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x06, 0x09, 0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x60, 0x90, 0x8a, 0x80, 0x40, 
0x38, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x38, 
0x2f, 0x10, 0x98, 0xd4, 0xa2, 
0x2f, 0x10, 0x48, 0x64, 0xf2, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x7d, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x14, 0x2a, 0x14, 0x22, 
0x22, 0x14, 0x2a, 0x14, 0x08, 
0x55, 0x00, 0x55, 0x00, 0x55, 
0xaa, 0x55, 0xaa, 0x55, 0xaa, 
0xff, 0x55, 0xff, 0x55, 0xff, 
0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x08, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x14, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x08, 0xff, 0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 
0x08, 0xf8, 0x08, 0xf8, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x14, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x14, 0xf7, 0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 
0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 
0x14, 0xf4, 0x04, 0xfc, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x17, 0x10, 0x1f, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x0f, 0x08, 0x0f, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x14, 0x1f, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x08, 0xf8, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x0f, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x0f, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x78, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x7f, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x1f, 0x10, 0x17, 0x14, 
0x00, 0xfc, 0x04, 0xf4, 0x14, 
0x14, 0x17, 0x10, 0x17, 0x14, 
0x14, 0xf4, 0x04, 0xf4, 0x14, 
0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 0xff, 0x00, 
0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x14, 0xf7, 0x00, 0xf7, 0x14, 
0x14, 0x14, 0x17, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x08, 0x0f, 0x08, 0x0f, 0x08, 
0x14, 0x14, 0xf4, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x08, 0xf8, 0x08, 0xf8, 0x08, 
0x00, 0x0f, 0x08, 0x0f, 0x08, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x1f, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x00, 0x00, 0xfc, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x00, 0xf8, 0x08, 0xf8, 0x08, 
0x08, 0xff, 0x08, 0xff, 0x08, 
0x14, 0x14, 0xff, 0x14, 0x14, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x0f, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x00, 0xf8, 0x08, 0x08, 
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 
0xf0, 0xf0, 0xf0, 0xf0, 0xf0, 
0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x00, 0xff, 0xff, 0xff, 
0x0f, 0x0f, 0x0f, 0x0f, 0x0f, 
0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x38, 0x44, 
0xfe, 0x01, 0x45, 0x4a, 0x30, 
0x7f, 0x01, 0x01, 0x01, 0x01, 
0x44, 0x3c, 0x04, 0x7c, 0x44, 
0x63, 0x55, 0x49, 0x41, 0x63, 
0x38, 0x44, 0x44, 0x3c, 0x04, 
0xfc, 0x40, 0x40, 0x20, 0x7c, 
0x04, 0x04, 0x7c, 0x44, 0x04, 
0x1c, 0x22, 0x7f, 0x22, 0x1c, 
0x3e, 0x49, 0x49, 0x49, 0x3e, 
0x5e, 0x61, 0x01, 0x61, 0x5e, 
0x32, 0x4d, 0x45, 0x49, 0x30, 
0x18, 0x24, 0x18, 0x24, 0x18, 
0xb8, 0x64, 0x54, 0x4c, 0x3a, 
0x28, 0x54, 0x54, 0x44, 0x20, 
0x7e, 0x01, 0x01, 0x01, 0x7e, 
0x2a, 0x2a, 0x2a, 0x2a, 0x2a, 
0x44, 0x44, 0x5f, 0x44, 0x44, 
0x51, 0x4a, 0x4a, 0x44, 0x44, 
0x44, 0x44, 0x4a, 0x4a, 0x51, 
0x00, 0x00, 0xfe, 0x01, 0x03, 
0xc0, 0x80, 0x7f, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x08, 0x08, 0x2a, 0x08, 0x08, 
0x28, 0x14, 0x24, 0x28, 0x14, 
0x00, 0x02, 0x05, 0x02, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x18, 0x18, 0x00, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x10, 0x10, 0x00, 
0x20, 0x40, 0xff, 0x01, 0x01, 
0x0f, 0x01, 0x0e, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x09, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x00, 0x00, 
0x3e, 0x3e, 0x3e, 0x3e, 0x3e, 
0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00

:::

Isn't that an off the shelf part?

https://www.seeedstudio.com/XIAO-7-5-ePaper-Panel-p-6416.html

Deets?