diff --git a/Common.py b/Common.py
index 04ce776..4acc59c 100644
--- a/Common.py
+++ b/Common.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>
 
 import cairo
+import pango
 import Enum
 
 keytypes = Enum.Enum("SIMPLE SPECIAL").vals(illegal=255)
@@ -27,10 +28,7 @@
 keysegmentslistreverse = list(keysegmentslist)
 keysegmentslistreverse.reverse()
 
-fontname = "Sans"
-fontstyle = cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL
-fontweight = cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL
-fontsize = 12
+font_desc = pango.FontDescription("Sans Bold 12")
 
 # You need to have gucharmap installed.
 # It might be possible to perform drag n drop from the KDE equivalent,
diff --git a/DumbKey.py b/DumbKey.py
index a146248..837fc00 100644
--- a/DumbKey.py
+++ b/DumbKey.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import gobject
 import cairo
 import copy
+import pango
 
 import Common
 import KeyValue
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ def setvalues(self, size = 1, keycode = None, vertical = False,
 
     def expose(self, widget, event):
         self.context = widget.window.cairo_create()
+        self.layout= self.context.create_layout()
         
         # set a clip region for the expose event
         self.context.rectangle(event.area.x,     event.area.y,
@@ -177,28 +179,37 @@ def draw_linewh(self, context, x, y, w, h):
     def draw_character(self, context, char, align, cx, cy, cwidth, cheight):
         if char == '':
             return
-        self.context.select_font_face(Common.fontname, Common.fontstyle, 
-                                      Common.fontweight)
-        self.context.set_font_size(Common.fontsize * 1.0)
-        fascent, fdescent, fheight, fxadvance, fyadvance = self.context.font_extents()
-        xbearing, ybearing, width, height, xadvance, yadvance = \
-                                                  self.context.text_extents(char)
+
+        # set the font and text
+        self.layout.set_font_description(Common.font_desc)
+        self.layout.set_text(char)
+
+        # now calculate the position for the text based on the fonts metrics
+        text_bounds = self.layout.get_pixel_size()
+        twidth= text_bounds[0]
+        theight= text_bounds[1]
+        spacing = theight / 3
+
+        # TODO: The font-size should be adjusted according to the available
+        # space. If the rendered text is larger than the available space
+        # its font-size should be reduced until it fits
 
         if align == Common.alignments.CENTRE:
-                self.context.move_to(cx + cwidth/2 - width/2 - xbearing, 
-                                     cy + cheight/2 - height/2 - ybearing)
+            self.context.move_to(cx + cwidth/2  - twidth/2,
+                                 cy + cheight/2 - theight/2)
         elif align == Common.alignments.LEFT:
-            self.context.move_to(cx + cwidth/16 - xbearing, 
-                                 cy + cheight - cheight/16 + ybearing)
+            self.context.move_to(cx + spacing,
+                                 cy + cheight - theight - spacing)
         elif align == Common.alignments.RIGHT:
-            self.context.move_to(cx + cwidth/2 - width/2 - xbearing, 
-                                 cy + cheight/2 - height/2 - ybearing)
+            self.context.move_to(cx + cwidth  - twidth - spacing,
+                                 cy + cheight - theight - spacing)
         else:
             print "Error; unknown alignment"
             sys.exit(-1)
 
         self.context.set_source_rgb(.30, .30, .30)
-        self.context.show_text(char)
+        self.context.update_layout(self.layout)
+        self.context.show_layout(self.layout)
         
     def redraw(self):
         (x,y,width,height) = self.get_allocation()
@@ -294,4 +305,4 @@ def extract_display_keyvalues(self):
             if self.dvalues[counter].getType() == Common.keyvaluetype.NOSYMBOL:
                 self.dvalues_inherited[counter] = False
                 self.dvalues[counter] = copy.copy(self.keyvalues[counter])
-    
\ No newline at end of file
+
diff --git a/KeyboardLayoutEditor b/KeyboardLayoutEditor
index c82a974..482f1c1 100755
--- a/KeyboardLayoutEditor
+++ b/KeyboardLayoutEditor
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ Please do not put punctuation marks."
         fontbutton_vbox = gtk.VBox()
         fontbutton_label = gtk.Label("Select a font")
         fontbutton_vbox.pack_start(fontbutton_label, expand=False, fill=False)
-        fontbutton = gtk.FontButton(fontname=Common.fontname + " " + str(Common.fontsize))
+        fontbutton = gtk.FontButton(fontname=Common.font_desc.to_string())
         fontbutton.set_title('Select a font')
         fontbutton.connect('font-set', self.font_set_callback)
         fontbutton_vbox.pack_start(fontbutton, expand=False, fill=False)
@@ -900,23 +900,9 @@ Please do not put punctuation marks."
 
     def font_set_callback(self, fontbutton):
         newfont = fontbutton.get_font_name()
+        font_desc = pango.FontDescription(newfont)
+        Common.font_desc= font_desc
         context = self.window.create_pango_context()
-        for family in context.list_families():
-            if newfont.find(family.get_name()) == 0:
-                face = family.list_faces()[0]
-                Common.fontname = family.get_name()
-                Common.fontsize = string.atoi(newfont.rpartition(' ')[-1], 10)
-                Common.fontstyle = cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL
-                Common.fontweight = cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL
-                if face.get_face_name() == "Regular":
-                    Common.fontstyle = cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL
-                if face.get_face_name() == "Bold":
-                    Common.fontweight = cairo.FONT_SLANT_BOLD
-                if face.get_face_name() == "Italic":
-                    Common.fontstyle = cairo.FONT_SLANT_ITALIC
-                if face.get_face_name() == "Oblique":
-                    Common.fontstyle = cairo.FONT_SLANT_OBLIQUE
-                break
         for keycode in KeyDict.Keys.keys():
             KeyDict.Keys[keycode].key.redraw()
         Common.addtostatusbar('Font set to ' + newfont + '.')