Windows Font Rendering

[SolidSapphire]

I was just wondering why does the font rendering for Windows look terrible still after all these years?

I shouldn't have to use another program to make the rendering sharper and easier to read. Not that i am complaining but i was just wondering what you all thought about it and if you agree or not?

I'm sure for some it's not a big deal...

[SoapyHamHocks Member]

I don't think it looks bad at all.

[yxz]

imo cleartype looks better

[digitalsoft]

Cleartype is perfect. You sure you have your monitor on its native res ;)

[JOHW]

Different people prefer different implementations. Similar to the rest, I prefer Cleartype as compared to GDI..

[SolidSapphire]

Yep. Maybe it's me but i think Cleartype looks crappy now. I guess after all these years i've been used to it but since i starting using the program i just can't go back.

[XionUK]

I'm the same. I prefer apple's rendering system (I use both OS before anyone shouts fanboi), it's more the letters with underhangs like g, p, y, and q I notice it, but I'm glad I get the Apple rendering on Safari - makes the web look right at least. :)

[Melfster]

  Xion-UK said:

I'm the same. I prefer apple's rendering system (I use both OS before anyone shouts fanboi), it's more the letters with underhangs like g, p, y, and q I notice it, but I'm glad I get the Apple rendering on Safari - makes the web look right at least. :)

Funny I actually prefer cleartype over apple's rendering system and I use both OS apple rendering seems more blurred to me.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

I prefer ClearType font rendering. GDI++ makes the font itself look thicker than it actually is. ClearType does it too, but GDI++ does it even more.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

GDI's rendering dates back to Windows 95, just with slightly better ways of hinting and anti-aliasing, it's not as good as what OS X or Linux (Freetype) can do.

Which is why MS made a replacement with DirectWrite (for native code, managed code can use WPF's renderer), unfortunately it will take a while before apps are updated to take advantage of the new API.

[Linkinfamous]

That GDI++ thing makes various characters, such as 'e','!' look terrible. Especially when they are bold.

[Dead_Monkey]

User cleartype tuner. cttune at the run prompt should launch it. Flatscreens require manual tuning. 7 introduced manual tuning on a per screen basis, thank goodness.

[master2k27]

clear type looks grate

[Beastage]

I don't know, I like the fonts on windows 7 (or vista) people always talk about linux or osx font rendering.... I got osx hackintoshed on my PC, I can't stand the font rendering.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

A bit of a comparison.

The top is DirectWrite (the new API introduced in Windows 7 and being backported to Vista), then it's Quartz's rendering, then GDI's rendering, then Freetype using my configuration in my Linux VM.

The DirectWrite image has an OpenType feature applied, that's why the "ck" look different.

[SolidSapphire]

I went through the whole Cleartype Tuner on Windows 7, Didn't really make much of a difference to me. I've been using GDI++ for a while and i can't stop using it, To me it makes the fonts easier to read because they are darker. I also used to use OS X a few years back and i loved the font rendering.

[Guest xiphi]

I tried out GDI++ a few days just for kicks, and found the fonts looked like total crap (when the damn thing decided to work). Cleartype is much better than GDI++ and Apple's offering for reading.

[drbobiii]

I don't mind Cleartype, but I usually prefer GDI++ in most programs. Unfortunately, until someone releases a working 64-bit version I can't really use it.

[Long]

I think the difference in opinion is that a font can look "good" and a font can "look good". The first is that you like the way it looks visually, and the latter is that it's comfortable to read.

[hjf288]

GDI++ needs tweaking to work well, but i dont have a problem with cleartype..

[SolidSapphire]

  drbobiii said:

I don't mind Cleartype, but I usually prefer GDI++ in most programs. Unfortunately, until someone releases a working 64-bit version I can't really use it.

So it doesn't work at all in 64-bit or there is some type of problem running it?

[drbobiii]

  SolidSapphire said:

So it doesn't work at all in 64-bit or there is some type of problem running it?

There is no x64 version. You can run it in 64-bit windows, but it will run as a 32-bit application, so Explorer windows and any 64-bit applications are are not affected by it. So basically half your system will be Cleartype, the other half GDI++.

[Panda X]

I wish DirectWrite was used in place of GDI++ and ClearType.

[OOOOOOOO]

lol ... cleartype is FAR better than GDI rendering for fonts ... look at those horrible hanging pixels on the GDI side ... Sure, if you tweak it, it can be ok ... but Cleartype works 100% brilliantly without tweaking.