diff --git a/bdfparse.py b/bdfparse.py
index 46b9126..0d92899 100644
--- a/bdfparse.py
+++ b/bdfparse.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class Font:
         self.chars = self.parse_chars(bdfFile)
         self.cols = self.properties["FONTBOUNDINGBOX"][0]
         self.rows = self.properties["FONTBOUNDINGBOX"][1]
+        self.shape = (self.rows, self.cols)
 
     def parse_properties(self, bdfFile):
 
@@ -190,9 +191,22 @@ class Font:
         )
 
     def word(self, word: str):
-        matrix = self.chars[word[0]]
-        for char in word[1:]:
-            matrix = np.concatenate((matrix, self.chars[char]), axis=1)
+        matrix = np.zeros(self.shape)
+        for char in word:
+            if char is " ":
+                arr = np.zeros(self.shape)
+            elif char is "!":
+                arr = self.chars["exclam"]
+            elif char is "%":
+                arr = self.chars["percent"]
+            elif char is ",":
+                arr = self.chars["comma"]
+            elif char is ".":
+                arr = self.chars["period"]
+            else:
+                arr = self.chars[char]
 
-        return matrix
+            matrix = np.concatenate((matrix, arr), axis=1)
+
+        return matrix[:, self.cols :]