In an embodiment, a data processing method provides an improvement in efficient use of computer memory and comprises using a computer, creating in computer memory a glyph memory area that is configured to store a plurality of cached glyphs; using the computer, receiving a request from an application to use a particular glyph; in response to the request, determining whether the particular glyph is in the glyph memory area; in response to determining that the particular glyph is not in the glyph memory area: attempting to store a bitmap of the particular glyph to a next location in the glyph memory area; in response to determining that the next location is not available a first time, reclaiming space in the glyph memory area in an amount sufficient to store the bitmap; attempting a second time to store the bitmap in the next location in the glyph memory area; in response to determining that the next location is not available a second time, clearing the glyph memory area of all previously stored glyphs and storing the bitmap in the glyph memory area.