diff --git a/winarea/drawtext.c b/winarea/drawtext.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59efbe81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/winarea/drawtext.c
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+// 14 september 2015
+#include "area.h"
+
+struct uiDrawFont {
+	HFONT font;
+};
+
+uiDrawFont *uiDrawPrepareFont(uiDrawFontSpec *spec)
+{
+	uiDrawFont *df;
+	LOGFONTW lf;
+
+	// TODO use uiNew
+	df = malloc(sizeof (uiDrawFont));
+	ZeroMemory(&lf, sizeof (LOGFONTW));
+	// TODO
+	df->font = xxxxxxxx(&lf);
+	if (df->font == NULL)
+		logLastError("error creating font in uiDrawPrepareFont()");
+	return df;
+}
+
+void uiDrawFreeFont(uiDrawFont *df)
+{
+	if (DeleteObject(df->font) == 0)
+		logLastError("error deleting font in uiDrawFreeFont()");
+	// TODO use uiFree
+	free(df);
+}
+
+/* uniscribe notes:
+- https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd317792%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
+- https://maxradi.us/documents/uniscribe/
+- http://www.catch22.net/tuts/introduction-uniscribe
+- http://www.catch22.net/tuts/uniscribe-mysteries
+- http://www.catch22.net/tuts/more-uniscribe-mysteries
+- http://www.catch22.net/tuts/drawing-styled-text-uniscribe
+- http://www.microsoft.com/msj/1198/multilang/multilang.aspx
+Even with all this we're on our own with actual paragraph layout; see the last link for example code (which we don't use here). */
+
+struct uniscribe {
+	WCHAR *text;
+	size_t len;
+	HDC dc;
+
+	SCRIPT_CONTROL control;
+	SCRIPT_STATE state;
+
+	SCRIPT_ITEM *items;
+	int nItems;
+
+	SCRIPT_CACHE cache;
+	WORD **glyphs;
+	WORD **clusters;
+	SCRIPT_VISATTR **visattrs;
+	int *nGlyphs;
+
+	int **advances;
+	GOFFSET **gOffsets;
+	ABC *abcs;
+};
+
+// the step numbers in this function are according to the "Lay Out Text Using Uniscribe" section of https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd317792%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
+void initUniscribe(struct uniscribe *s, WCHAR *text, HDC dc)
+{
+	HRESULT hr;
+	int nAlloc;
+	int i;
+
+	ZeroMemory(s, sizeof (struct uniscribe));
+
+	s->text = text;
+	s->len = wcslen(s->text);
+	s->dc = dc;
+
+	// steps 1 through 3 are irrelevent here
+
+	// step 4
+	nAlloc = 32;
+	for (;;) {
+		// TODO use uiRealloc
+		s->items = realloc(s->items, nAlloc * sizeof (SCRIPT_ITEM));
+		hr = ScriptItemize(s->text, s->len,
+			nAlloc,
+			&(s->control), &(s->state),
+			s->items, &(s->nItems));
+		if (hr == S_OK)
+			break;
+		if (hr == E_OUTOFMEMORY) {
+			nAlloc *= 2;
+			continue;
+		}
+		logHRESULT("error itemizing string in initUniscribe()", hr);
+	}
+
+	// step 5
+	// we're not using multiple fonts; we have no lists to merge
+
+	// step 6
+	s->glyphs = malloc(s->nItems * sizeof (WORD *));
+	s->clusters = malloc(s->nItems * sizeof (WORD *));
+	s->visattrs = malloc(s->nItems * sizeof (SCRIPT_VISATTR *));
+	s->nGlyphs = malloc(s->nItems * sizeof (int));
+	for (i = 0; i < s->nItems; i++) {
+		WCHAR *pwcChars;
+		int nChars;
+
+		pwcChars = s->text + s->items[i].iCharPos;
+		nChars = s->items[i + 1].iCharPos - s->items[i].iCharPos;
+		nAlloc = 1.5 * nChars + 16;
+s->glyphs[i] = NULL;//TODO remove when switched to uiAlloc
+s->visattrs[i] = NULL;
+		s->clusters[i] = malloc(nChars * sizeof (WORD));
+		for (;;) {
+			s->glyphs[i] = realloc(s->glyphs[i], nAlloc * sizeof (WORD));
+			s->visattrs[i] = realloc(s->visattrs[i], nAlloc * sizeof (SCRIPT_VISATTR));
+			hr = ScriptShape(s->dc, &(s->cache),
+				pwcChars, nChars,
+				nAlloc,
+				&(s->items[i].a),
+				s->glyphs[i], s->clusters[i],
+				s->visattrs[i], &(s->nGlyphs[i]));
+			if (hr == S_OK)
+				break;
+			if (hr == E_OUTOFMEMORY) {
+				nAlloc *= 2;
+				continue;
+			}
+			logHRESULT("error shaping glyphs in initUniscribe()", hr);
+		}
+	}
+
+	// step 7
+	// TODO
+
+	// step 8
+	s->advances = malloc(s->nItems * sizeof (int *));
+	s->goffsets = malloc(s->nItems * sizeof (GOFFSET *));
+	s->abcs = malloc(s->nItems * sizeof (ABC));
+	for (i = 0; i < s->nItems; i++) {
+		s->advances[i] = malloc(s->nGlyphs[i] * sizeof (int));
+		s->goffsets[i] = malloc(s->nGlyphs[i] * sizeof (GOFFSET));
+		hr = ScriptPlace(s->dc, &(s->cache),
+			s->glyphs[i], s->nGlyphs[i], s->visattrs[i],
+			&(s->items[i].a),
+			s->advances[i], s->goffsets[i], &(s->abcs[i]));
+		if (hr != S_OK)
+			logHRESULT("error placing glyphs in initUniscribe()", hr);
+	}
+}
+
+void uninitUniscribe(struct uniscribe *s)
+{
+	HRESULT hr;
+	int i;
+
+	// TODO use uiFree
+
+	free(s->abcs);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < s->goffsets; i++)
+		free(s->goffsets[i]);
+	free(s->goffsets);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < s->nItems; i++)
+		free(s->advances[i]);
+	free(s->advances);
+
+	free(s->nGlyphs);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < s->nItems; i++)
+		free(s->visattrs[i]);
+	free(s->visattrs);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < s->nItems; i++)
+		free(s->clusters[i]);
+	free(s->clusters);
+
+	for (i = 0; i < s->nItems; i++)
+		free(s->glyphs[i]);
+	free(s->glyphs);
+
+	hr = ScriptCacheFree(&(s->cache));
+	if (hr != S_OK)
+		logHRESULT("error freeing Uniscribe cache in uninitUniscribe()");
+
+	free(s->items);
+}
diff --git a/windows/winapi.h b/windows/winapi.h
index bfd8e8ab..11abfb96 100644
--- a/windows/winapi.h
+++ b/windows/winapi.h
@@ -28,3 +28,4 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <shobjidl.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#include <usp10.h>