diff --git a/docs/example_generation.jl b/docs/example_generation.jl
index f8302912..87562bbd 100644
--- a/docs/example_generation.jl
+++ b/docs/example_generation.jl
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ const examples = PlotExample[
               [
                 :(y = rand(10)),
                 :(plot(y, ann=(3,y[3],text("this is #3",:left)))),
-                :(annotate!([(5,y[5],text("this is #5",16,:red,:center)),(10,y[10],text("this is #10",:right,20,:Helvitica))]))
+                :(annotate!([(5,y[5],text("this is #5",16,:red,:center)),(10,y[10],text("this is #10",:right,20,"courier"))]))
               ]),
   
 ]
diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index dcd8f3d9..c77445fb 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ _plotDefaults[:link]              = false
 _plotDefaults[:linkx]             = false
 _plotDefaults[:linky]             = false
 _plotDefaults[:linkfunc]          = nothing
-# _plotDefaults[:dataframe]         = nothing
+_plotDefaults[:tickfont]          = font(13)
+_plotDefaults[:guidefont]         = font(16)
+_plotDefaults[:legendfont]        = font(10)
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/backends/gadfly.jl b/src/backends/gadfly.jl
index f762c456..4eff2324 100644
--- a/src/backends/gadfly.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gadfly.jl
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ supportedArgs(::GadflyPackage) = [
     :z,
     # :linkx,
     # :linky,
+    :tickfont,
+    :guidefont,
+    :legendfont,
   ]
 supportedAxes(::GadflyPackage) = [:auto, :left]
 supportedTypes(::GadflyPackage) = [:none, :line, :path, :steppre, :steppost, :sticks, :scatter, :heatmap, :hexbin, :hist, :bar, :hline, :vline, :ohlc]
@@ -83,24 +86,33 @@ function createGadflyPlotObject(d::Dict)
                                    Gadfly.Guide.ylabel(d[:ylabel]),
                                    Gadfly.Guide.title(d[:title])]
 
+  kwargs = Dict()
 
-  # hide the legend
-  if get(d, :legend, true)
-    extra_theme_args = Any[]
-  else
-    extra_theme_args = Any[(:key_position, :none)]
+  # hide the legend?
+  if !get(d, :legend, true)
+    kwargs[:key_position] = :none
   end
 
+  # fonts
+  tfont, gfont, lfont = d[:tickfont], d[:guidefont], d[:legendfont]
+
   fg = getColor(d[:foreground_color])
   gplt.theme = Gadfly.Theme(;
           background_color = getColor(d[:background_color]),
-          # grid_color = fg,
           minor_label_color = fg,
+          minor_label_font = tfont.family,
+          minor_label_font_size = tfont.pointsize * Gadfly.pt,
           major_label_color = fg,
+          major_label_font = gfont.family,
+          major_label_font_size = gfont.pointsize * Gadfly.pt,
           key_title_color = fg,
+          key_title_font = gfont.family,
+          key_title_font_size = gfont.pointsize * Gadfly.pt,
           key_label_color = fg,
+          key_label_font = lfont.family,
+          key_label_font_size = lfont.pointsize * Gadfly.pt,
           plot_padding = 1 * Gadfly.mm,
-          extra_theme_args...
+          kwargs...
         )
   gplt
 end
@@ -661,16 +673,16 @@ function createGadflyAnnotationObject(x, y, val::@compat(AbstractString))
 end
 
 function createGadflyAnnotationObject(x, y, txt::PlotText)
-  halign = (txt.halign == :hcenter ? Compose.hcenter : (txt.halign == :left ? Compose.hleft : Compose.hright))
-  valign = (txt.valign == :vcenter ? Compose.vcenter : (txt.valign == :top ? Compose.vtop : Compose.vbottom))
-  rotations = (txt.rotation == 0.0 ? [] : [Compose.Rotation(txt.rotation, Compose.Point(Compose.x_measure(x), Compose.y_measure(y)))])
+  halign = (txt.font.halign == :hcenter ? Compose.hcenter : (txt.font.halign == :left ? Compose.hleft : Compose.hright))
+  valign = (txt.font.valign == :vcenter ? Compose.vcenter : (txt.font.valign == :top ? Compose.vtop : Compose.vbottom))
+  rotations = (txt.font.rotation == 0.0 ? [] : [Compose.Rotation(txt.font.rotation, Compose.Point(Compose.x_measure(x), Compose.y_measure(y)))])
   Gadfly.Guide.annotation(Compose.compose(
                               Compose.context(), 
                               Compose.text(x, y, txt.str, halign, valign, rotations...),
-                              Compose.font(string(txt.family)),
-                              Compose.fontsize(txt.pointsize * Gadfly.pt),
-                              Compose.stroke(txt.color),
-                              Compose.fill(txt.color)
+                              Compose.font(string(txt.font.family)),
+                              Compose.fontsize(txt.font.pointsize * Gadfly.pt),
+                              Compose.stroke(txt.font.color),
+                              Compose.fill(txt.font.color)
                             ))
 end
 
diff --git a/src/types.jl b/src/types.jl
index cdc9517e..e81654b6 100644
--- a/src/types.jl
+++ b/src/types.jl
@@ -121,10 +121,9 @@ end
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-"Wrap a string with font info"
-immutable PlotText
-  str::@compat(AbstractString)
-  family::Symbol
+
+immutable Font
+  family::AbstractString
   pointsize::Int
   halign::Symbol
   valign::Symbol
@@ -132,18 +131,20 @@ immutable PlotText
   color::Colorant
 end
 
-
-function text(str, args...)
+"Create a Font from a list of unordered features"
+function font(args...)
   
   # defaults
-  family = :courier
-  pointsize = 12
+  family = "Helvetica"
+  pointsize = 14
   halign = :hcenter
   valign = :vcenter
   rotation = 0.0
   color = colorant"black"
 
   for arg in args
+    T = typeof(arg)
+
     if arg == :center
       halign = :hcenter
       valign = :vcenter
@@ -151,13 +152,13 @@ function text(str, args...)
       halign = arg
     elseif arg in (:vcenter, :top, :bottom)
       valign = arg
-    elseif typeof(arg) <: Colorant
+    elseif T <: Colorant
       color = arg
-    elseif isa(arg, Symbol)
+    elseif T <: @compat Union{Symbol,AbstractString}
       try
         color = parse(Colorant, string(arg))
       catch
-        family = arg
+        family = string(arg)
       end
     elseif typeof(arg) <: Integer
       pointsize = arg
@@ -168,9 +169,20 @@ function text(str, args...)
     end
   end
 
-  PlotText(string(str), family, pointsize, halign, valign, rotation, color)
+  Font(family, pointsize, halign, valign, rotation, color)
 end
 
+"Wrap a string with font info"
+immutable PlotText
+  str::@compat(AbstractString)
+  font::Font
+end
+
+function text(str, args...)
+  PlotText(string(str), font(args...))
+end
+  
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 type OHLC{T<:Real}