diff --git a/skills/creative/manim-video/SKILL.md b/skills/creative/manim-video/SKILL.md
index 34e6f7e67..15bc3d386 100644
--- a/skills/creative/manim-video/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/creative/manim-video/SKILL.md
@@ -108,14 +108,18 @@ project-name/
 
 ### Fonts
 
-Always specify fonts explicitly — the default renders poorly. See `references/visual-design.md` for full recommendations.
+**Use monospace fonts for all text.** Manim's Pango renderer produces broken kerning with proportional fonts at all sizes. See `references/visual-design.md` for full recommendations.
 
 ```python
-Text("Title", font_size=48, font="Inter", weight=BOLD)       # body text
-Text("code()", font_size=24, font="JetBrains Mono")           # monospaced
-MathTex(r"\nabla L")                                           # math (uses LaTeX)
+MONO = "Menlo"  # define once at top of file
+
+Text("Fourier Series", font_size=48, font=MONO, weight=BOLD)  # titles
+Text("n=1: sin(x)", font_size=20, font=MONO)                  # labels
+MathTex(r"\nabla L")                                            # math (uses LaTeX)
 ```
 
+Minimum `font_size=18` for readability.
+
 ### Per-Scene Variation
 
 Never use identical config for all scenes. For each scene:
@@ -141,11 +145,12 @@ BG = "#1C1C1C"
 PRIMARY = "#58C4DD"
 SECONDARY = "#83C167"
 ACCENT = "#FFFF00"
+MONO = "Menlo"
 
 class Scene1_Introduction(Scene):
     def construct(self):
         self.camera.background_color = BG
-        title = Text("Why Does This Work?", font_size=48, color=PRIMARY)
+        title = Text("Why Does This Work?", font_size=48, color=PRIMARY, weight=BOLD, font=MONO)
         self.add_subcaption("Why does this work?", duration=2)
         self.play(Write(title), run_time=1.5)
         self.wait(1.0)
diff --git a/skills/creative/manim-video/references/visual-design.md b/skills/creative/manim-video/references/visual-design.md
index e8dc09fe3..e7dcec01a 100644
--- a/skills/creative/manim-video/references/visual-design.md
+++ b/skills/creative/manim-video/references/visual-design.md
@@ -60,35 +60,40 @@ BG="#0A0A0A"; PRIMARY="#00F5FF"; SECONDARY="#FF00FF"; ACCENT="#39FF14"
 
 ## Font Selection
 
-Manim's default `Text()` uses the system's default sans-serif font, which often renders with poor kerning. Always specify a font explicitly.
+**Use monospace fonts for all text.** Manim's Pango text renderer produces broken kerning with proportional fonts (Helvetica, Inter, SF Pro, Arial) at all sizes and resolutions. Characters overlap and spacing is inconsistent. This is a fundamental Pango limitation, not a Manim bug.
+
+Monospace fonts have fixed character widths — zero kerning issues by design.
 
 ### Recommended Fonts
 
 | Use case | Font | Fallback |
 |----------|------|----------|
-| Body text, titles | `"Inter"`, `"SF Pro Display"` | `"Helvetica Neue"`, `"Arial"` |
-| Code, terminal | `"JetBrains Mono"`, `"SF Mono"` | `"Menlo"`, `"Courier New"` |
-| Math labels | Use `MathTex` (renders via LaTeX, not system fonts) | — |
+| **All text (default)** | `"Menlo"` | `"Courier New"`, `"DejaVu Sans Mono"` |
+| Code, labels | `"JetBrains Mono"`, `"SF Mono"` | `"Menlo"` |
+| Math | Use `MathTex` (renders via LaTeX, not Pango) | — |
 
 ```python
-# Clean body text
-title = Text("Gradient Descent", font_size=48, font="Inter", weight=BOLD)
+MONO = "Menlo"  # define once at top of file
 
-# Monospaced code
-code_label = Text("loss.backward()", font_size=24, font="JetBrains Mono")
+title = Text("Fourier Series", font_size=48, color=PRIMARY, weight=BOLD, font=MONO)
+label = Text("n=1: (4/pi) sin(x)", font_size=20, color=BLUE, font=MONO)
+note = Text("Convergence at discontinuities", font_size=18, color=DIM, font=MONO)
 
 # Math — always use MathTex, not Text
 equation = MathTex(r"\nabla L = \frac{\partial L}{\partial w}")
 ```
 
+### When Proportional Fonts Are Acceptable
+
+Large title text (font_size >= 48) with short strings (1-3 words) can use proportional fonts without visible kerning issues. For anything else — labels, descriptions, multi-word text, small sizes — use monospace.
+
 ### Font Availability
 
-Not all fonts are installed on all systems. Manim falls back silently to a default if the font is missing. Use widely available fonts:
-- **macOS**: SF Pro Display, SF Mono, Menlo, Helvetica Neue
-- **Linux**: DejaVu Sans, Liberation Sans, Ubuntu, Noto Sans
-- **Cross-platform**: Inter (install via Google Fonts), JetBrains Mono (install from jetbrains.com)
+- **macOS**: Menlo (pre-installed), SF Mono
+- **Linux**: DejaVu Sans Mono (pre-installed), Liberation Mono
+- **Cross-platform**: JetBrains Mono (install from jetbrains.com)
 
-For maximum portability, use `"Helvetica Neue"` (body) and `"Menlo"` (code) — both available on macOS and have Linux equivalents.
+`"Menlo"` is the safest default — pre-installed on macOS, and Linux systems fall back to DejaVu Sans Mono.
 
 ### Fine-Grained Text Control
 
@@ -99,15 +104,15 @@ For maximum portability, use `"Helvetica Neue"` (body) and `"Menlo"` (code) —
 MarkupText('<span letter_spacing="6000">HERMES</span>', font_size=18, font="Menlo")
 
 # Bold specific words
-MarkupText('This is <b>important</b>', font_size=24)
+MarkupText('This is <b>important</b>', font_size=24, font="Menlo")
 
 # Color specific words
-MarkupText('Red <span foreground="#FF6B6B">warning</span>', font_size=24)
+MarkupText('Red <span foreground="#FF6B6B">warning</span>', font_size=24, font="Menlo")
 ```
 
-### Text Rendering Quality
+### Minimum Font Size
 
-Manim's text rendering quality depends heavily on output resolution. At `-ql` (480p), text kerning looks noticeably poor. Always preview text-heavy scenes at `-qm` (720p) or higher. See `references/rendering.md` for quality preset guidance.
+`font_size=18` is the minimum for readable text at any resolution. Below 18, characters become blurry at `-ql` and barely readable even at `-qh`.
 
 ## Visual Hierarchy Checklist