inconsolata update changes appearance of font

Aton · 2015-12-28 16:21:25

The most recent update to `ttf-inconsolata` has changed the appearance of the font for me.
I'm using XMonad and urxvt which I have been configuring via `.Xresources`:

URxvt.font: xft:Inconsolata

Looking at https://www.archlinux.org/packages/comm … consolata/,
the important change seems to be that one `Inconsolata.otf` file has been replaced with
two files, namely `Inconsolata-Bold.ttf` and `Inconsolata-Regular.ttf`.

Adding

Xft.hintstyle: hintnone

to `.Xresources` seems to improve the situation, but
I'm not sure whether that's the correct approach.

Last edited by Aton (2016-01-12 12:04:33)

Scimmia · 2015-12-28 16:26:32

I'll state the obvious.

What would be the point of an update if it didn't change anything?

Aton · 2015-12-28 16:49:47

Scimmia wrote:

I'll state the obvious.
What would be the point of an update if it didn't change anything?

In this particular case, change of maintainership, project location and `.otf` -> `.ttf`.
I didn't state it above, but the change in appearance is too big to be a slight font improvement.

girzel · 2016-01-03 04:05:32

The change in appearance was so dramatic (and so unpleasant) that I'd assumed the new package was broken somehow, or that I was no longer using the font, and needed to update my ~/.Xdefaults file in some way. I'll try the "hintstyle" trick and see if it does anything.

firecat53 · 2016-01-03 04:41:08

Yeah, I've pinned my Inconsolata version to the previous one until I can figure out how to change it back...not a fan of the new look. After some googling, I still can't find a good explanation of what/how it changed.

Scott

fumito · 2016-01-04 07:46:55

Try to use this format, it is working for me:

URxvt.font: xft:Inconsolata:style=Regular

To list inconsolata font:

fc-list | grep -i inco

girzel · 2016-01-04 08:37:53

Still not working for me -- do I have to do something more to register the font, or re-create a cache?

fc-list lists the font, no problem, Bold and Regular. But I put the font in ~/.Xdefaults, and both Xterm and Emacs ignore it. In fact, if I use the xft invocation, Emacs refuses to start: "Font 'xft:Inconsolata:style=Regular' is not defined"

Am I missing a step?

fumito · 2016-01-04 09:30:57

Try to use fc-cache to rebuild it.

fc-cache -f

girzel · 2016-01-04 10:20:42

That didn't do anything -- the font is already present, and is found by fc-list.

I am using i3 directly, no desktop environment, I wonder if that has something to do with it? I can't think of how else to tweak this...

firecat53 · 2016-01-04 16:50:11

fumito wrote:

Try to use this format, it is working for me:
URxvt.font: xft:Inconsolata:style=Regular

I tried that but there is no visible difference for the 2015 version with or without the 'style=Regular'. The 2009 version renders just slightly taller and bolder. I opened a new full screen urxvt window editing the same file at the same point for each variation (2009, 2015 with style=Regular, 2015 without style=Regular), kept it open between changes and then flipped through them to see the differences.

Scott

doggone · 2016-01-10 17:43:14

Inconsolata originally lacked a bold variant. Your system could 'boldify' the font, though. The font was adopted in the Google Font Directory. Several people made improvements and a bold variant. Until recently the Arch package kept using the original creator's website as upstream: http://www.levien.com/type/myfonts/inconsolata.html . However, Raph Levien now states there:

Update 2015-12-04: The official release of Inconsolata is at Google Fonts, and official upstream is on github. These versions have better Windows hinting and some fixes. I also have an experimental version (tentatively titled InconsolataGo) with straight quotes in the inconsolata directory here.

So the package was updated! See https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/33111 .

I prefer this updated version a lot. I always disable hinting, though. You should do that in your DE's settings, or if you don't use a DE in ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf, or if you want it configured system-wide, you can do:

# ln -s /etc/fonts/conf.avail/10-unhinted.conf /etc/fonts/conf.d/

I'm not sure, but I think you can even disable hinting for Inconsolata alone. See https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Font_configuration for detailed information.

Last edited by doggone (2016-01-10 17:46:00)

girzel · 2016-01-11 06:54:48

Thanks for the useful information! I'll go play with those settings.

EDIT: Making changes to ~/.config/fontconfig/fonts.conf has now gotten Xterm looking significantly better -- "hintslight" was what the doctor ordered! Emacs so far doesn't seem to be respecting that file, but I'm sure I can make it behave one way or the other. Thanks again!

Last edited by girzel (2016-01-11 08:36:33)

firecat53 · 2016-01-11 22:37:57

Aton wrote:

Adding
Xft:hintstyle: hintnone
to `.Xresources` seems to improve the situation, but
I'm not sure whether that's the correct approach.

Ooops, I didn't look at the wiki close enough...that's why it didn't work for me before...this should read:

Xft.hintstyle: hintnone

Which does work (hintslight seems to look about the same) to bring the 'look' of the font almost back to what it was. Solved for me!

Scott

Aton · 2016-01-12 12:10:01

firecat53 wrote:

Aton wrote:
Adding
Xft:hintstyle: hintnone
to `.Xresources` seems to improve the situation, but
I'm not sure whether that's the correct approach.
Ooops, I didn't look at the wiki close enough...that's why it didn't work for me before...this should read:
Xft.hintstyle: hintnone
Which does work (hintslight seems to look about the same) to bring the 'look' of the font almost back to what it was. Solved for me!
Scott

Oops, sorry for the typo. Fixed the introductory post.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-12-28 16:21:25

inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#2 2015-12-28 16:26:32

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#3 2015-12-28 16:49:47

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#4 2016-01-03 04:05:32

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#5 2016-01-03 04:41:08

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#6 2016-01-04 07:46:55

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#7 2016-01-04 08:37:53

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#8 2016-01-04 09:30:57

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#9 2016-01-04 10:20:42

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#10 2016-01-04 16:50:11

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#11 2016-01-10 17:43:14

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#12 2016-01-11 06:54:48

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#13 2016-01-11 22:37:57

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

#14 2016-01-12 12:10:01

Re: inconsolata update changes appearance of font

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