diff --git a/src/utils/bitmap_font.h b/src/utils/bitmap_font.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c5d3f67c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/bitmap_font.h
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/*
+  bitmap_font.h (PNM).
+  for n in `seq 32 126`; do printf "\x$(printf %x $n)"; done |  pbmtext -space 0 -lspace 0 -nomargins -builtin fixed >| tmp.pbm
+  convert tmp.pbm bitmap_font.h
+*/
+static const unsigned char
+  font[] =
+  {
+    0x50, 0x34, 0x0A, 0x36, 0x36, 0x35, 0x20, 0x31, 0x32, 0x0A, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x04, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 
+    0x38, 0x20, 0xE1, 0xC0, 0x8F, 0x87, 0x3E, 0x38, 0x70, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0xC4, 0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0xC0, 0x07, 
+    0x00, 0xC0, 0x20, 0x26, 0x07, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0xA0, 0xA3, 0x86, 0x0E, 0x08, 0x08, 0x40, 0x40, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 
+    0x44, 0xE1, 0x12, 0x21, 0x88, 0x08, 0x22, 0x44, 0x88, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x1C, 0x38, 0xE3, 0xE1, 0xCF, 0x9F, 0xBF, 0x1C, 0xEE, 0xF8, 0xF7, 
+    0x6E, 0x18, 0xF3, 0x9C, 0xF8, 0x73, 0xE1, 0xEF, 0xFD, 0xFB, 0xF7, 0xEF, 
+    0xDD, 0xF0, 0x82, 0x02, 0x04, 0x00, 0x10, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40, 0x08, 
+    0x00, 0x40, 0x00, 0x02, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x41, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0xA0, 0xA4, 0x49, 0x12, 0x08, 0x08, 0x40, 0x40, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 
+    0x44, 0x21, 0x10, 0x22, 0x88, 0x10, 0x04, 0x44, 0x88, 0x00, 0x00, 0x80, 
+    0x08, 0x22, 0x44, 0x21, 0x12, 0x24, 0x48, 0x91, 0x22, 0x44, 0x20, 0x22, 
+    0x44, 0x0D, 0x99, 0x22, 0x4C, 0x89, 0x12, 0x29, 0x28, 0x91, 0x22, 0x44, 
+    0x89, 0x10, 0x82, 0x02, 0x0A, 0x00, 0x10, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40, 0x08, 
+    0x00, 0x40, 0x00, 0x02, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x02, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x81, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0xA3, 0xF4, 0x06, 0x50, 0x10, 0x10, 0x21, 0xF0, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x04, 
+    0x44, 0x21, 0x10, 0x22, 0x88, 0x10, 0x04, 0x44, 0x88, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 
+    0x04, 0x02, 0x4C, 0x51, 0x12, 0x24, 0x4A, 0x15, 0x22, 0x44, 0x20, 0x22, 
+    0x84, 0x0D, 0x99, 0x22, 0x44, 0x89, 0x12, 0x09, 0x28, 0x91, 0x2A, 0x28, 
+    0x51, 0x20, 0x81, 0x02, 0x11, 0x00, 0x08, 0xF1, 0xE1, 0xC3, 0xC7, 0x1F, 
+    0x1D, 0x58, 0xE1, 0xE2, 0x61, 0x1D, 0x2E, 0x1C, 0xB8, 0x75, 0x71, 0xC7, 
+    0xD9, 0xBB, 0xF7, 0xEF, 0xDD, 0xF0, 0x81, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0x01, 0x43, 0x01, 0x88, 0x80, 0x10, 0x20, 0x40, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x04, 
+    0x44, 0x20, 0x20, 0xC4, 0x8F, 0x1E, 0x04, 0x38, 0x88, 0x40, 0x82, 0x0F, 
+    0x82, 0x04, 0x54, 0x51, 0xE2, 0x04, 0x4E, 0x1C, 0x20, 0x7C, 0x20, 0x23, 
+    0x04, 0x0A, 0x95, 0x22, 0x4C, 0x89, 0xE3, 0x81, 0x08, 0x9B, 0x2A, 0x10, 
+    0x50, 0x40, 0x81, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x09, 0x12, 0x24, 0x48, 0x88, 
+    0x22, 0x64, 0x20, 0x22, 0x81, 0x0A, 0x99, 0x22, 0x44, 0x88, 0x82, 0x22, 
+    0x08, 0x91, 0x22, 0x28, 0x89, 0x20, 0x81, 0x02, 0x09, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0x01, 0x41, 0x86, 0x1D, 0x00, 0x10, 0x20, 0xA3, 0xE0, 0x0F, 0x80, 0x08, 
+    0x44, 0x20, 0x40, 0x28, 0x80, 0x91, 0x04, 0x44, 0x78, 0x00, 0x04, 0x00, 
+    0x01, 0x08, 0x54, 0xF9, 0x12, 0x04, 0x4A, 0x14, 0x26, 0x44, 0x20, 0x23, 
+    0x84, 0x0A, 0x95, 0x22, 0x78, 0x89, 0x20, 0xE1, 0x08, 0x8A, 0x2A, 0x28, 
+    0x20, 0x40, 0x80, 0x82, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x79, 0x12, 0x04, 0x4F, 0x88, 
+    0x22, 0x44, 0x20, 0x23, 0x01, 0x0A, 0x91, 0x22, 0x44, 0x88, 0x81, 0xC2, 
+    0x08, 0x91, 0x2A, 0x10, 0x88, 0x41, 0x01, 0x01, 0x15, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0x07, 0xE4, 0x49, 0xA2, 0x00, 0x10, 0x20, 0x00, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x08, 
+    0x44, 0x20, 0x80, 0x2F, 0xC0, 0x91, 0x08, 0x44, 0x08, 0x00, 0x02, 0x0F, 
+    0x82, 0x08, 0x4E, 0x89, 0x12, 0x24, 0x48, 0x10, 0x22, 0x44, 0x21, 0x22, 
+    0x44, 0x4A, 0x93, 0x22, 0x40, 0x89, 0x10, 0x21, 0x08, 0x8A, 0x36, 0x28, 
+    0x20, 0x90, 0x80, 0x82, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x89, 0x12, 0x04, 0x48, 0x08, 
+    0x22, 0x44, 0x20, 0x22, 0x81, 0x0A, 0x91, 0x22, 0x44, 0x88, 0x80, 0x22, 
+    0x08, 0x8A, 0x2A, 0x28, 0x50, 0x80, 0x81, 0x02, 0x12, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x02, 0x84, 0x42, 0x63, 0x00, 0x10, 0x20, 0x00, 0x82, 0x00, 0x00, 0x10, 
+    0x44, 0x21, 0x12, 0x20, 0x90, 0x91, 0x08, 0x44, 0x10, 0x00, 0x81, 0x00, 
+    0x04, 0x00, 0x40, 0x89, 0x12, 0x24, 0x48, 0x90, 0x22, 0x44, 0x21, 0x22, 
+    0x24, 0x48, 0x93, 0x22, 0x40, 0x89, 0x12, 0x21, 0x0D, 0x8E, 0x14, 0x44, 
+    0x21, 0x10, 0x80, 0x42, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x89, 0x12, 0x24, 0x48, 0x88, 
+    0x22, 0x44, 0x20, 0x22, 0x41, 0x0A, 0x91, 0x22, 0x44, 0x88, 0x82, 0x22, 
+    0x28, 0x8E, 0x14, 0x44, 0x71, 0x10, 0x81, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0x02, 0x83, 0x81, 0x9C, 0x80, 0x08, 0x40, 0x00, 0x02, 0x00, 0x08, 0x10, 
+    0x38, 0xF9, 0xF1, 0xC1, 0xCF, 0x0E, 0x08, 0x38, 0xE0, 0x40, 0x80, 0x80, 
+    0x08, 0x08, 0x39, 0xDF, 0xE1, 0xCF, 0x9F, 0xBC, 0x1C, 0xEE, 0xF8, 0xC7, 
+    0x3F, 0xDD, 0xF9, 0x1C, 0xF0, 0x73, 0x9B, 0xC7, 0xC7, 0x04, 0x14, 0xEE, 
+    0x71, 0xF0, 0x80, 0x42, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x76, 0xE1, 0xC3, 0xA7, 0x1E, 
+    0x1E, 0xEE, 0xF8, 0x26, 0x37, 0xFA, 0xF9, 0x9C, 0x78, 0x79, 0xE1, 0xC1, 
+    0xC7, 0x44, 0x14, 0xC6, 0x21, 0xF0, 0x81, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x08, 0x40, 0x00, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x18, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x80, 0x22, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 0x00, 0x81, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x04, 0x80, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0xC0, 0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x02, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x40, 0x08, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x20, 0x00, 0x41, 0x04, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7F, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x1C, 0x00, 0x01, 0xC0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xE0, 0x1C, 0x00, 0x00, 
+    0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0xC0, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00
+  };
diff --git a/src/utils/text.c b/src/utils/text.c
index 819dc9926..fd857a983 100644
--- a/src/utils/text.c
+++ b/src/utils/text.c
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include "debug.h"
+#include "utils/bitmap_font.h"
 #include "utils/color_out.h" // prune_ansi_sequences_inplace_cstr
+#include "utils/fs.h"
+#include "utils/pam.h"
 #include "utils/text.h"
 
 /**
@@ -287,3 +291,73 @@ char *strrpbrk(char *s, const char *accept) {
         return NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * draws a line with built-in bitmap 12x7 bitmap font separated by 1 px space, RGBA
+ */
+bool draw_line(char *buf, int pitch, const char *text, uint32_t color, bool solid) {
+        enum {
+                FONT_W = 7,
+                FONT_H = 12,
+                WIDTH = FONT_W + 1, ///< adding 1 pix space between letters
+        };
+        const char *filename = NULL;
+        FILE *f = get_temp_file(&filename);
+        if (!f) {
+                log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Cannot get temporary file!\n");
+                return false;
+        }
+        fwrite(font, sizeof font, 1, f);
+        rewind(f);
+        struct pam_metadata info;
+        unsigned char *font_data = NULL;
+
+        bool ret = pam_read(filename, &info, &font_data, malloc);
+        fclose(f);
+        unlink(filename);
+        if (!ret) {
+                log_msg(LOG_LEVEL_ERROR, "Cannot read PAM!\n");
+                return false;
+        }
+        assert(info.width == FONT_W * ('~' - ' ' + 1) && info.height == FONT_H && info.maxval == 1 && info.bitmap_pbm);
+        int idx = 0;
+        while (*text) {
+                char c = *text;
+                if (c < ' ' || c > '~') {
+                        c = '?';
+                }
+                c -= ' ';
+                for (int j = 0; j < FONT_H; ++j) {
+                        for (int i = 0; i < FONT_W; ++i) {
+                                int pos_x = (FONT_W * c + i) / 8;
+                                int mask = 1 << (FONT_W - ((FONT_W * c + i) % 8));
+                                int offset = (info.width + FONT_W) / 8 * j;
+                                if (font_data[offset + pos_x] & mask) {
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH)] = color & 0xFFU;
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH) + 1] = (color >> 8U) & 0xFFU;
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH) + 2] = (color >> 16U) & 0xFFU;
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH) + 3] = (color >> 24U) & 0xFFU;
+                                } else if (solid) {
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH)] =
+                                                buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH) + 1] =
+                                                buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH) + 2] = 0;
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * (i + idx * WIDTH) + 3] = 0xFFU;
+                                }
+                        }
+                        if (solid) { // fill space between characters
+                                buf[j * pitch + 4 * ((WIDTH-1) + idx * WIDTH)] =
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * ((WIDTH-1) + idx * WIDTH) + 1] =
+                                        buf[j * pitch + 4 * ((WIDTH-1) + idx * WIDTH) + 2] = 0;
+                                buf[j * pitch + 4 * ((WIDTH-1) + idx * WIDTH) + 3] = 0xFFU;
+                        }
+                }
+                if ((++idx + 1) * WIDTH * 4 > pitch) {
+                        return true;
+                }
+                ++text;
+        }
+
+        free(font_data);
+
+        return true;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/utils/text.h b/src/utils/text.h
index f00f47d54..6098daeb0 100644
--- a/src/utils/text.h
+++ b/src/utils/text.h
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ size_t urldecode(char *out, size_t max_len, const char *in);
 /// same as strpbrk but finds in a reverse order (last occurence returned)
 char *strrpbrk(char *s, const char *accept);
 
+bool draw_line(char *buf, int pitch, const char *text, uint32_t color, bool solid);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/utils/video_pattern_generator.cpp b/src/utils/video_pattern_generator.cpp
index 5e8eda988..2442aa1f7 100644
--- a/src/utils/video_pattern_generator.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/video_pattern_generator.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "ug_runtime_error.hpp"
 #include "utils/color_out.h"
+#include "utils/text.h"
 #include "video.h"
 #include "video_capture/testcard_common.h"
 #include "video_pattern_generator.hpp"
@@ -158,6 +159,15 @@ class image_pattern {
 };
 
 class image_pattern_bars : public image_pattern {
+        public:
+        explicit image_pattern_bars(string const &init) {
+                if (init == "help"s) {
+                        col() << "Testcard bar usage:\n\t" << SBOLD(SRED("-t testcard:pattern=bars") << "[=text]") << " - optionally annotate with text" << "\n";
+                        throw 1;
+                }
+                annotate = init;
+        }
+        private:
         enum generator_depth fill(int width, int height, unsigned char *data) override {
                 int col_num = 0;
                 int rect_size = COL_NUM;
@@ -197,8 +207,12 @@ class image_pattern_bars : public image_pattern {
                                 }
                         }
                 }
+                if (!annotate.empty()) {
+                        draw_line((char *) data, width * 4, annotate.c_str(), 0xFFFFFFFF, true);
+                }
                 return generator_depth::bits8;
         }
+        string annotate;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -437,7 +451,7 @@ unique_ptr<image_pattern> image_pattern::create(string const &config) {
                 params = config.substr(delim + 1);
         }
         if (pattern == "bars") {
-                return make_unique<image_pattern_bars>();
+                return make_unique<image_pattern_bars>(params);
         }
         if (pattern == "blank") {
                 return make_unique<image_pattern_blank>(params);