Bitmap for different type and size fonts

Given a window font (Verdana, Tahoma, etc) of certain type (truetype or opentype) and size (10 pt, 16 pt, etc) how can I obtain the bitmap of its characters (or more accurately the glyphs)?

I am working on an application in VB that will write text and graphics to a 6 ft wide X 2 ft high LED array message board via serial port. The LED resolution on the board is 64 LEDs/sq. in. (8×8 array)