They are all small fonts. i'll experiment with the size when AA is used and keep you up to date.
]]>I also tried other configs (with antialiasing turned on for all font sizes and hinting turned off) but i could only get results similar to the ones with autohinting turned on. I'll post the updated config later when I get back home - maybe it will work better for other people. The only thing I decided to include uncommented is the dpi section. It didn't improve the quality since I use xfce4 now (and it already has dpi set in its .xinitrc config) but this will make local.config more complete and easier to use with other WMs/DEs. BTW I'm usually using ms ttf fonts for web viewing (verdana) but I read some posts on other forums that differrent settings may look better with non-ttf fonts.
]]> <match target="font">
<test qual="all" name="rgba">
<const>unknown</const>
</test>
<edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
<const>rgb</const>
</edit>
</match>
is used for LCDs I believe. It shouldn't hurt to leave it in for a CRT, but if you have an LCD, it is necessary.
[edit]
Still having trouble with fonts..
:? Starting to wonder if x.org is worth a shot. Anyone notice a marked difference between xfree86 and x.org in the area of font rendering?
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<!-- /etc/fonts/local.conf file for local customizations -->
<fontconfig>
<!--
<match target="font">
<edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
<bool>true</bool>
</edit>
<edit name="hinting" mode="assign">
<bool>false</bool>
</edit>
</match>
-->
<!--
<match target="pattern">
<edit name="autohint" mode="assign">
<bool>true</bool>
</edit>
</match>
-->
<match target="pattern">
<edit name="dpi" mode="assign">
<double>96</double>
</edit>
</match>
<match target="pattern">
<test qual="any" name="size" compare="less_eq">
<int>7</int>
</test>
<edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
<bool>false</bool>
</edit>
</match>
<match target="pattern" name="family">
<test qual="any" name="family">
<string>fixed</string>
</test>
<edit name="family" mode="assign">
<string>mono</string>
</edit>
</match>
<match target="pattern" name="family">
<test qual="any" name="family">
<string>console</string>
</test>
<edit name="family" mode="assign">
<string>mono</string>
</edit>
</match>
<match target="pattern" name="family">
<test qual="any" name="family">
<string>mono</string>
</test>
<edit name="spacing" mode="assign">
<int>100</int>
</edit>
</match>
<match target="pattern" name="family">
<test qual="any" name="family">
<string>Helvetica</string>
</test>
<edit name="family" mode="assign">
<string>sans-serif</string>
</edit>
</match>
<alias>
<family>serif</family>
<prefer>
<family>Bitstream Vera Serif</family>
</prefer>
</alias>
<alias>
<family>sans-serif</family>
<prefer>
<family>Bitstream Vera Sans</family>
</prefer>
</alias>
<alias>
<family>monospace</family>
<prefer>
<family>Bitstream Vera Sans Mono</family>
</prefer>
</alias>
<match target="font">
<test qual="all" name="rgba">
<const>unknown</const>
</test>
<edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
<const>rgb</const>
</edit>
</match>
</fontconfig>
Most of the info I used to merge into my local.conf is from:
freebsd handbook http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO885 … fonts.html,
dropline faq http://www.dropline.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=825,
freetype autohinter page http://freetype.sourceforge.net/autohinting/,
and bitstream fonts page http://www.gnome.org/fonts/.
Notice that I decreased the nonantialiased font size to 7 (you just have to experiment). I'm using 19" crt philips monitor with nvidia drivers at 1280x1024. I also disabled autohint section (it's commented out at the bottom of the config) because I didn't like its effect on the font rendering: fonts got stronger colours (like black was more black) but they were also too fat (bolder?) and too fuzzy IMO. I'm quite satisfied now with the look of the fonts. I'm not of course saying that this is the best possible set of options :-)
Another good effect I got by using this config is that the web pages which use helvetica look much better now (the config converts bad looking fonts to bitstream fonts). An example of such webpage is http://www.linux-magazine.com/
EDIT: I updated the config above. Everything inside comments is not active. You can try to experiment with different settings by changing the values (dpi, nonantialiased font size, etc.) and uncommenting/commenting some parts of the config. I use only standard arch fontconfig, fonts and xfce4 with xfree86 package (no experience with x.org - but AFAIK there shouldn't be any difference really).
]]>Thanks cactus, I'll try it tonight to see the difference! Is it possible for you to post a screenshot what your fonts look like before and after the modification in your local.conf?
well, I can post what they look like now...but each time I login I try something new. The latest attempt involved straight copying the fedora /etc/fonts/fonts.conf and local.conf from a fedora installation to arch, then rebuilding the font cache. Gave me some interesting results. I had to manually change the font dirs section, but no biggie.
They look a little silly though, all short and fat. It did fix a problem I was having with some of the fonts only displaying the top half of the characters (Utopia font was a bad one).
I did notice on a redhat mailing list somewhere (old one, might have the link somewhere) that redhat had patches to freetype rendering that never made it upstream. That might explain why redhat (and fedora) renders fonts slightly different from other distros...
It may be useful to anlayze the fonts.conf and local.conf for another distro, like slack or mandrake. Maybe this weekend I will be productive..
ok..lazy ass finally got to his machine and turned it on..
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<!-- /etc/fonts/local.conf file for local customizations -->
<fontconfig>
<!-- Disable anti-aliasing for fonts that are size <=12 -->
<match target="pattern">
<test qual="any" name="size" compare="less_eq">
<int>12</int>
</test>
<edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>false</bool></edit>
</match>
<!-- just disables anti-aliasing for helvetica -->
<!--
<match target="pattern" name="family">
<test qual="any" name="family">
<string>Helvetica</string>
</test>
<edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>false</bool></edit>
</match>
-->
<!-- Enable sub-pixel rendering -->
<!--
<match target="font">
<test qual="all" name="rgba">
<const>unknown</const>
</test>
<edit name="rgba" mode="assign"><const>rgb</const></edit>
</match>
-->
</fontconfig>
As you can see, I left the info in there, just commented it out. I was trying different stuff to see what I liked most.
further, my .xfce/xinitrc file contains the following section
xrdb -nocpp -merge - << EOF
Xft.dpi: 72
Xft.hinting: 1
Xft.hintstyle: hintmedium
EOF
I had to change the dpi from the 96 specified initially in the file to 72 (my fonts were wicked huge before making that change).
I run at 1024x768 resolution..
I also noticed a few differences the fonts.conf file on my arch linux box, and my fedora/redhat ws3 boxen...
I posted them here. I did not highlight the differences...exercise left to the reader..
I will post more if I discover something else that adds to beutification..
]]>if someone is interested in a nicely configured local.conf with bitstream-fonts:
http://daperi.home.solnet.ch/linux/local.conf
-> note that i use 132dpi as screen resolution (UXGA@15"), so you need to addapt this to your screen resolution (what is in most cases 75dpi or something around this)
edit: for any ideas how to make it better, feel free to contact me - always open for ideas
]]>Thanks!
murpheus40 wrote:Hello,
I also did a fresh install with the lastest fontconfig (fontconfig 2.2.1-2) installed. Then I ran xfce4. I'm not lucky like you because my fonts are still wonky. Maybe I forgot something? It's sad because if I use Slackware with dropline, the fonts are just fine.
Thank you in advance if you have some tips!
The main problem I was having was with helvetica fonts. I used the info that apeiro suggested in my /etc/fonts/local.conf, rebuilt the font cache, and restarted X. I also had to properly set my dpi. Once I had done that, all fonts below a certain threshold were no longer anti-aliased. It looked fine to me.
Then, to just try and see what kind of difference it would make to have only the helvetica font non-anti-aliased, i changed the /etc/fonts/local.conf to select only the Hevletica fonts, and force those to be non-anti-aliased, but allow anti-aliasing of the other fonts.I decided to just go back to everything under a certain threshold being non-anti-aliased, because some other fonts appeared a bit blurry at small sizes...
I am not at my arch box right now, so I can't post the modified version that only non-anti-aliased the helvetica fonts...but I can get to it later if anyone desires...
]]>
Hello,
I also did a fresh install with the lastest fontconfig (fontconfig 2.2.1-2) installed. Then I ran xfce4. I'm not lucky like you because my fonts are still wonky. Maybe I forgot something? It's sad because if I use Slackware with dropline, the fonts are just fine.
Thank you in advance if you have some tips!
The main problem I was having was with helvetica fonts. I used the info that apeiro suggested in my /etc/fonts/local.conf, rebuilt the font cache, and restarted X. I also had to properly set my dpi. Once I had done that, all fonts below a certain threshold were no longer anti-aliased. It looked fine to me.
Then, to just try and see what kind of difference it would make to have only the helvetica font non-anti-aliased, i changed the /etc/fonts/local.conf to select only the Hevletica fonts, and force those to be non-anti-aliased, but allow anti-aliasing of the other fonts.
I decided to just go back to everything under a certain threshold being non-anti-aliased, because some other fonts appeared a bit blurry at small sizes...
I am not at my arch box right now, so I can't post the modified version that only non-anti-aliased the helvetica fonts...but I can get to it later if anyone desires...
]]>I also did a fresh install with the lastest fontconfig (fontconfig 2.2.1-2) installed. Then I ran xfce4. I'm not lucky like you because my fonts are still wonky. Maybe I forgot something? It's sad because if I use Slackware with dropline, the fonts are just fine.
Thank you in advance if you have some tips!
apeiro wrote:Try disabling anti-aliasing for fonts under a certain size. I use this in my /etc/fonts/local.conf:
<fontconfig> <match target="pattern"> <test qual="any" name="size" compare="less_eq"><int>12</int></test> <edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>false</bool></edit> </match> </fontconfig>
Then run fc-cache -fv
This chunk will be in local.conf for the next fontconfig package, but disabled. Just uncomment it if you don't want small fuzzy fonts.
I did a re-install of arch, and updated to the new packages...
The changes to the font.conf and local.conf were in there...I uncommented the disable anti-aliasing section, and the enable sub-pixel rendering sections in local.conf...and it fixed the problem! *does happy dance*
thanks apeiro!ps. what does sub-pixel rendering do? do i really need that?
ps. what does sub-pixel rendering do? do i really need that?
To the best of my knowledge, sub-pixel rendering doesn't do a whole lot on CRTs. If you have an LCD monitor, it can improve font appearances.
]]>Try disabling anti-aliasing for fonts under a certain size. I use this in my /etc/fonts/local.conf:
<fontconfig> <match target="pattern"> <test qual="any" name="size" compare="less_eq"><int>12</int></test> <edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>false</bool></edit> </match> </fontconfig>
Then run fc-cache -fv
This chunk will be in local.conf for the next fontconfig package, but disabled. Just uncomment it if you don't want small fuzzy fonts.
I did a re-install of arch, and updated to the new packages...
The changes to the font.conf and local.conf were in there...I uncommented the disable anti-aliasing section, and the enable sub-pixel rendering sections in local.conf...and it fixed the problem! *does happy dance*
thanks apeiro!
ps. what does sub-pixel rendering do? do i really need that?
]]>Try disabling anti-aliasing for fonts under a certain size. I use this in my /etc/fonts/local.conf:
<fontconfig>
<match target="pattern">
<test qual="any" name="size" compare="less_eq"><int>12</int></test>
<edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>false</bool></edit>
</match>
</fontconfig>
Then run fc-cache -fv
This chunk will be in local.conf for the next fontconfig package, but disabled. Just uncomment it if you don't want small fuzzy fonts.
]]>