Great looking fonts through a simple file

FUBAR · 2007-01-08 13:29:00

I came across this site offering some help on how to setup decent fonts. I have no idea how it works, I just know it works as my fonts currently look truely awesome. I've never seen them this nice.

Just create the file ~/.fonts.conf with the text below in it. I pasted it here once more, because the author of the site forgot that the XML-tags are parsed by browsers aswell.

~/.fonts.conf

<xml>
<DOCTYPE>
<fontconfig>


<match>
  <edit>
   <const>none</const>
  </edit>
 </match>
 <match>
  <edit>
   <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
 </match>

 <match>
  <edit>
   <const>hintfull</const>
  </edit>
 </match>

 <match>
  <edit>
   <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
 </match>

 <match>
  <edit>
   <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
 </match>

 <match>
  <test>
   <string>Helvetica</string>
  </test>
  <edit>
   <string>sans-serif</string>
  </edit>
 </match>

 <dir>~/.fonts</dir>
</fontconfig>

Let me know what you think of it.

I have no idea if this has ever been posted already, either on the forum, the mailing list or the Wiki. So sue me!

dolby · 2007-01-08 16:32:32

can u post a screenshot? awesome when it comes to fonts is highly subjective

vacant · 2007-01-08 19:32:02

Er, that "code" is nothing like a useful fonts.conf. Go to the link and "view page source" in your browser, then cut & paste the right bit of the page directly into your text editor. It will need tidying (remove html etc)

FUBAR · 2007-01-08 19:39:15

vacant wrote:

Er, that "code" is nothing like a useful fonts.conf. Go to the link and "view page source" in your browser, then cut & paste the right bit of the page directly into your text editor.

Dammit, you're right. I pasted it here explicitly because the same thing happened on that website: the author pasted the XML code in his HTML code and most of it got parsed. I'll try and look for a way.

FUBAR · 2007-01-08 19:43:06

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

<match target="font" >
<edit mode="assign" name="hintstyle" >
<const>hintfull</const>
</edit>
</match>

<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>

Sigi · 2007-01-08 19:51:33

Seems to work now, although I can't restart my x-server right now to see if it really worked ;-)

FUBAR · 2007-01-08 19:57:49

dolby wrote:

can u post a screenshot? awesome when it comes to fonts is highly subjective

Here's one from the homepage. If you have any requests, let me know.

Link fixed!

arooaroo · 2007-01-08 20:00:29

FUBAR, the img isn't linking properly to imageshack. The thumbnail won't cut it otherwise

cactus · 2007-01-08 20:07:30

FUBAR.. should it look like this?

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

  <match target="font">
    <edit mode="assign" name="antialias">
      <bool>true</bool>
    </edit>
  </match>

  <match target="pattern">
    <edit mode="assign" name="autohint">
      <bool>true</bool>
    </edit>
  </match>

  <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>

just testing to see if I could get it to paste properly...

FUBAR · 2007-01-08 20:10:50

I fixed the link. Wtf happened to ImageShack. Last time I checked I could figure it out!

Anyway, I reposted the correct code disabling the BB and HTML tags in the post. It displays properly here.

caust1c · 2007-01-08 20:17:17

hm, do i have to configure something?
i just put those code in ~/.fonts.conf but nothing changed

something _did_ change.
with this config, my fonts get really ugly

tomk · 2007-01-08 20:28:19

One of a number of previous discussions on the topic here, with some alternative ~/.fonts.conf files.

FUBAR · 2007-01-08 20:33:50

caust1c wrote:

hm, do i have to configure something?
i just put those code in ~/.fonts.conf but nothing changed
something _did_ change.
with this config, my fonts get really ugly

Ow, that's too bad. I don't understand a thing of all this font stuff, I came across that site and gave it a try. And the results show in that screenshot.

I guess you miles may (will) vary.

iBertus · 2007-01-09 00:15:44

So, this fonts.conf file just disables subpixel rendering and cranks the autohinter to full. I could suggest an improvement (in my eyes) which is to check the font weight for bold fonts and not hint them so that they dont' apper so FAT.

MillTek · 2007-01-09 19:02:53

Just wanted to say thanks for this config. My fonts were horrendous after installing Arch64 and this solved the problem.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!1

Jim

MillTek · 2007-01-09 23:17:00

I applied Ibertus' suggestion and things are even better!!

Thanks Again!

Jim

dmax · 2007-01-10 06:36:53

i didn't notice anything

FUBAR · 2007-01-10 08:24:49

MillTek wrote:

I applied Ibertus' suggestion and things are even better!!

Thanks Again!

Jim

How? My fat fonts could use a diet, to be honest.

JGC · 2007-01-10 08:37:34

AFAIK helvetica, courier and times are replaced by sans-serif, serif and monospace already in the default fontconfig configuration.

Mr Green · 2007-01-10 08:44:01

err use pastebin syntax may show up correctly xml is a pig on forums lol

iphitus · 2007-01-10 10:54:01

I had all sorts of problems with fonts, with some lookin poor under one setting and others lookin poor under another -- until i set my screen's DPI to 75, and now they're all sleek and sharp -- but not rough.

James

MillTek · 2007-01-10 13:49:12

[

How? My fat fonts could use a diet, to be honest.[/quote]

Hi FUBAR,

I aded the following snippet to the conf file;

<match>
<test>
<const>medium</const>
</test>
<edit><bool>false</bool></edit>
</match>

Regards,

Jim

Arch Linux

#1 2007-01-08 13:29:00

Great looking fonts through a simple file

#2 2007-01-08 16:32:32

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#3 2007-01-08 19:32:02

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#4 2007-01-08 19:39:15

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#5 2007-01-08 19:43:06

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#6 2007-01-08 19:51:33

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#7 2007-01-08 19:57:49

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#8 2007-01-08 20:00:29

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#9 2007-01-08 20:07:30

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#10 2007-01-08 20:10:50

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#11 2007-01-08 20:17:17

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#12 2007-01-08 20:28:19

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#13 2007-01-08 20:33:50

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#14 2007-01-09 00:15:44

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#15 2007-01-09 19:02:53

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#16 2007-01-09 23:17:00

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#17 2007-01-10 06:36:53

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#18 2007-01-10 08:24:49

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#19 2007-01-10 08:37:34

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#20 2007-01-10 08:44:01

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#21 2007-01-10 10:54:01

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

#22 2007-01-10 13:49:12

Re: Great looking fonts through a simple file

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