Getting font size before initializing graphics

I'm writing an app that mimics a text window: N columns x M rows of characters of a fixed-width font. I want the window size to be a perfect multiple of the font width and height, so I need to get those values before the Graphics call. Unfortunately, you can't use TextWidth and TextHeight until *after* the graphics system is initialized.

The only option I've come up with is to initialize graphics, get the font measurements, close the graphics device, then re-open it again with the proper window size. This is ugly :)

when loading a font you deside what size to use im not sure if fonts have a default size.

how are you styling this.

A. You choose your font then builds a window to suit
B. Creating a window using a preselected font

In LoadImageFont, you specify a font size, but that size doesn't translate to pixels. Additionally, the width and height of a character in a fixed-width font may be different.

The problem is that you can't call TextWidth and TextHeight before Graphics.

well..one slightly ugly solution might be to create the display
for single purpose of grabbing that info..

graphics(640,480,0)
*GetFont Data*
endgraphics()
*Rest of the Proggy*
end

this should result in the window poping up for
a second or two..but i imagine this isnt too annoying,
anyway..you can use this kludge until someone tells
you how to do it cleanly ;)

Does this look too bad?

Graphics 1,1
Print TextWidth("Hello World")
Endgraphics
Graphics 640,480
DrawText "Hello World!",0,0
Flip
WaitKey()

First time there's a small flash but running again it's too quick to see.

Or Have that window as some kind of splash screen?