Freaking fonts...

Shopko · 2005-11-17 17:48:26

Hey all... I've read through a bunch of HOWTOs, online guides, etc. and can't seem to find a good solution to my font problem.

First, check out this screenshot over at OSDir:

http://shots.osdir.com/slideshows/501_or/12.png

Notice how some of the letters (like the 'w' in "workstation") are "thicker" than the other letters? I have the exact same problem, and it's really starting to drive me crazy.

I've tried turning on the bytecode interpreter, I've tried using the auto-hinter instead, I've tried messing with the default font weight, etc. Nothing seems to work perfectly.

I did manage to get the fonts to look evenly weighted at one point, where no letters looked more bold than any others. But then, the problem was pieces of some letters just disappeared alltogether (like the diagonals in the letter 'K').

Here's my current setup:

- Using the bytecode interpreter
- Using LCD subpixel rendering (I'm on a laptop)
- Using the Microsoft TTF fonts, Bitstream fonts, and some artwiz fonts
- Running the latest x.org Arch release

Has anyone been able to get their fonts to look as good as (or better than) they do under Windows or MacOS? If so, what did you do?

Thanks!

Shopko · 2005-11-17 18:08:27

Of course, right after I post, I find a solution in the forums.

This seems to be working okay for me (things are better at least):

/etc/fonts/local.conf

<?xml version="1.0"?> 
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd"> 
<fontconfig> 
 <match target="font" > 
  <edit mode="assign" name="hinting" > 
   <bool>true</bool> 
  </edit> 
 </match> 
 <match target="font" > 
  <edit mode="assign" name="hintstyle" > 
   <const>hintslight</const> 
  </edit> 
 </match> 
 <match target="font" > 
  <edit mode="assign" name="autohint" > 
   <bool>true</bool> 
  </edit> 
 </match> 
</fontconfig>

The fonts still don't look as good as they do in Windows XP, but they're better. If you have any tips on improving font quality, please add them!

Snowman · 2005-11-17 20:12:55

You could check the wiki.

Shopko · 2005-11-18 05:16:23

I've read through the Wiki, and tried several suggestions from the forums. For some reason, I just can't get fonts to look as pretty as they do in Windows XP. Check out this image, a screenshot from my XP partition. The fonts aren't fuzzy at all with ClearType turned on, and it seems like all of the weights are the same, whether on diagonal glyphs or vertical lines.

The best I have been able to get is adjusting my DPI setting to match that of my screen, adjusting the hinting level to "slight", and using high-quality TrueType fonts.

After reading through all of the FreeType documentation this afternoon, I got interested in learning more about OpenType. It sounds like an interesting mix between TrueType and Type 1.

*EDIT*: I guess it would be nice to include the screenshot I mentioned. :oops:

keevn7 · 2005-11-18 06:05:54

The fonts in WindowsXP do not even rival my fonts in Linux. Cleartype just makes them look too blurry, and I really wish they would fix that because I use WindowsXP rather often. :

Anyway, the settings in in /etc/fonts/local.conf are just the default ones, all commented out. In my experience with the autohinter, it makes the fonts look like they do in the original poster's screenshot. I shall go ahead and post a screenshot of my fonts.

[URL=http://img312.imageshack.us/my.php?image=xfce4nov1820055wp.png] xfce4nov1820055wp.th.png [/URL]

tomk · 2005-11-18 11:12:00

Ages ago, I put the following in ~/.fonts.conf, and I've been happy (font-wise) ever since. I can't remember where I found it, but it originated in a linuxquestions thread - someone called cathectic did some research on it. YMMV.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">

<!-- the cathectic LCD tweaks, from linuxquestions.org, http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?postid=1361098#post1361098 -->

<fontconfig>

<!-- Disable sub-pixel rendering. X detects it anyway, and if you set this as well, it just looks really horrible  -->
<match target="font" >
  <edit mode="assign" name="rgba" >
   <const>none</const>
  </edit>
 </match>
 <match target="font" >
  <edit mode="assign" name="hinting">
   <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
 </match>
 <match target="font" >
  <edit mode="assign" name="hintstyle">
   <const>hintfull</const>
  </edit>
 </match>

<!-- The first part of the 'magic.' This makes the fonts start to look nice, but some of the shapes will be distorted, so hinting is needed still -->
 <match target="font" >
  <edit mode="assign" name="antialias">
   <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
 </match>

<!-- Autohinter is not turned on automatically. Only disable this if you have recompiled Freetype with the bytecode interpreter, which is run automatically. Although to be honest, Freetype are right, there isn't much difference between the two. Note that OpenOffice is built against the bytecode interpreter, so even if you have compiled it and override it with the autohinter, OOo will still use the bytecode interpreter -->
 <match target="pattern" >
  <edit mode="assign" name="autohint">
   <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
 </match>

<!-- Helvetica is a non true type font, and will look bad. This replaces it with whatever is the default sans-serif font -->
 <match target="pattern" name="family" >
  <test name="family" qual="any" >
   <string>Helvetica</string>
  </test>
  <edit mode="assign" name="family" >
   <string>sans-serif</string>
  </edit>
 </match>
 <dir>~/.fonts</dir>
</fontconfig>

rpgcyco · 2005-11-18 12:27:26

I've noticed that the letters with diagonals look bad, as well. My ~/.fonts.conf looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
<match target="font">
 <test compare="more" name="pixelsize" qual="any">
  <double>0</double>
 </test>
 <test compare="less" name="pixelsize" qual="any">
  <double>15</double>
 </test>
 <edit mode="assign" name="antialias">
  <bool>false</bool>
 </edit>
</match>
<!-- UNCOMMENT THIS SECTION TO ENABLE ANTIALIAS FOR BOLD FONTS
<match target="font">
 <test name="weight">
  <const>bold</const>
  <const>black</const>
 </test>
 <edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
  <bool>true</bool>
 </edit>
</match>
-->
<match target="pattern">
            <test qual="any" name="family">
                    <string>Bitstream Vera Sans</string>
            </test>
            <edit name="family" mode="assign">
                    <string>Arial</string>
            </edit>
</match>
    <match target="pattern">
            <test qual="any" name="family">
                    <string>Helvetica</string>
            </test>
            <edit name="family" mode="assign">
                    <string>Arial</string>
            </edit>
</match>
<match target="pattern">
            <test qual="any" name="family">
                    <string>Palatino</string>
            </test>
            <edit name="family" mode="assign">
                    <string>Georgia</string>
            </edit>
</match>
</fontconfig>

I got this from here.

Here is a screenshot of the problem, btw. This problem never happened in Ubuntu.

- Rpg Cyco

alterkacker · 2005-11-20 18:46:31

tomk - thanks so much for posting that! I too have now achieved font-wise happiness.

tomk · 2005-11-20 23:21:31

Well, that's good - glad it was useful. I'm just passing it on, as someone passed it to me.

eyolf · 2005-12-20 21:43:44

Sincere thanks from me too. Now my screen looks like a screenshot again... (like it did on Windows)
Two problems remain: the fonts are now too blurred, and I can't get OpenType fonts to work properly in OpenOffice. This seems to be a problem with OO/Linux and not with Linux per se, so I'll probably have to wait for an upgrade.

bpisciot · 2005-12-21 01:50:47

I wasn't unhappy with my fonts, but I tried Tomk's .fonts.conf file anyway. The difference is subtle, but I think my fonts look better. Thanks, Tomk.

Bob P.

Arch Linux

#1 2005-11-17 17:48:26

Freaking fonts...

#2 2005-11-17 18:08:27

Re: Freaking fonts...

#3 2005-11-17 20:12:55

Re: Freaking fonts...

#4 2005-11-18 05:16:23

Re: Freaking fonts...

#5 2005-11-18 06:05:54

Re: Freaking fonts...

#6 2005-11-18 11:12:00

Re: Freaking fonts...

#7 2005-11-18 12:27:26

Re: Freaking fonts...

#8 2005-11-20 18:46:31

Re: Freaking fonts...

#9 2005-11-20 23:21:31

Re: Freaking fonts...

#10 2005-12-20 21:43:44

Re: Freaking fonts...

#11 2005-12-21 01:50:47

Re: Freaking fonts...

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