Compatibility
Minecraft: Java Edition
Platforms
Supported environments
Creators
Details
Flatter Signs: A Mode 13h Addon
A Fabric mod for Minecraft 1.20.1 that adds billboarding to signs when paired with the Mode 13h shaderpack.
Designed as an addon for Mode 13h: MS-DOSify!. Without the shaderpack you can still use the mod, but signs will render as a cross/hatch model (like vanilla grass/flowers), because Mode 13h is what actually converts those models into billboards.

🧾 Why This Exists
Mode 13h already billboards several objects for that crunchy DOS look — but signs are special: the moment you billboard them, the vanilla text rendering becomes useless (no “real” front face to draw on).
So Flatter Signs solves the readability problem by:
- making signs one-sided (like pre-1.20 behavior, fitting the “no backside” billboard logic),
- and printing the sign’s content in chat with a vanilla-style prefix:
<Sign> Hello world!

✨ Features
📌 Billboard-ready sign models
- Standing signs are turned into a cross/hatch model so Mode 13h can billboard them.
- All wood variants supported.
- Works with signs and hanging signs.
💬 Chat reading (right click)
- Right click a sign to print its text in chat with a
<Sign>prefix. - Shift + right click to edit the sign (since normal right click is now “read”).
🎨 Vanilla mechanics preserved (and made visible)
These interactions affect both the sign itself and the chat output:
- Dye a sign → the text printed in chat matches the dyed color.
- Glow ink sac → sign glows in the dark.
- Honeycomb (wax) → sign becomes non-editable (even with Shift+RMB) but still readable/printable.
🪵 Resourcepack-friendly by design
- Signs use the item sign texture, so they stay compatible with any resource pack automatically.
- Wall signs are procedurally generated from the item texture: if your pack keeps the general vanilla sign silhouette, it should “just work” with no extra assets (otherwise, check Configuration below).
⚠️ Known compromise
Wall Hanging Signs
Wall hanging signs are flat, not billboarded. Their shape makes true billboarding impractical, so this is the best balance between:
- readability,
- visual consistency,
- and not breaking the model into something uncanny.
⚙️ Configuration
A simple .json config lets you enable/disable each feature independently (billboard model, chat printing, one-sided behavior, shift-to-edit logic, dye/glow/wax behavior, hanging sign support, etc.).
-
Location:
config/flattersigns.json(generated after first launch) -
Use case: keep only the bits you want if you’re not using Mode 13h.
-
Resource packs with non-vanilla sign silhouettes may need:
wall_sign_texture_crop_height(1..16) — visible pixel height taken from the item texture.wall_sign_texture_crop_offset(0..16, clamped) — vertical offset into the item texture before cropping.
🧩 Compatibility
| Platform | Minecraft | Works? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric | 1.20.1 | ✅ | Native target |
| Forge | 1.20.1 | ✅ | Via Sinytra Connector + Forgified Fabric API |
| Without Mode 13h shaderpack | 1.20.1 | ✅* | No billboard effect; signs appear as cross/hatch models |
✅ Quick usage cheat sheet
- Read sign: Right click
- Edit sign: Shift + right click
- Dye / glow / wax: Same items, same behavior — now reflected in chat readability too
🖇️ Credits
- Mod & idea: HandLock_
- Made for: Mode 13h: MS-DOSify! shaderpack
“No backside, eyes up here!”


