I'm going to make my own survey with this little community

I'm curious. How do you prefer to read the text on your monitor, with smoothed fonts (now known mostly as ClearType) or without smoothing them?

In these examples I have used the Source Sans Pro font with its different styles/versions.

This has ClearType enabled



This is normal font



I'm still using a CRT monitor, and, for me, the normal fonts are the best viewed, even they look ugly like Source Sans Pro because that fonts looks like it was made as a font to be smoothed.

Probably, most of you, with an LCD screen (fixed pixels per screen), will find better the smoothed example.




What do you prefer? What type of monitor do you have?

I have an LCD monitor on this laptop, and prefer to use ClearType. Even so, the default font rendering settings in about:config were not to my liking, so I have tweaked those:

gfx.font_rendering.cleartype.always_use_for_content = true
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.cleartype_level = 100
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.enhanced_contrast = 100
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.gamma = 2200
gfx.use_text_smoothing_setting = true

I had to do that in both Firefox and K-Meleon.

There are various other programs that don't seem to support ClearType. Even switching from one text editor to another using the same font can show major differences.

Also, the font rendering in Chromium-based browsers is quite hard for me to read with my lousy vision, even with ClearType enabled in Windows. There is an extension to fix that, but it shouldn't be necessary.

Edit: I forgot to mention that my display is 1024x600, and that some programs don't recognize my font settings under "change color scheme" in the control panel. They use the system font in their UI instead, which makes the text in menus and dialog boxes too small. I'm referring to the system font found in the registry. I've changed that to bold and 9 points instead of normal weight 8, which makes it more readable. However, some programs seem to ignore the change, so what they show looks more like a normal weight 8 point font.

A custom DPI setting in the control panel screws up the screen layout, so that's not an option, either.

---
Gerry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2016 05:53PM by foliator.

The normal font seems better for me. I have bad eyesight and requires the 1280x720 resolution. The GeForce 210 and the 2269 monitor can display much more, but then it is too small for me to read text.

Graphics
Monitor
Name 2269W on NVIDIA GeForce 210
Current Resolution 1280x720 pixels
Work Resolution 1218x720 pixels
State Enabled, Primary
Monitor Width 1280
Monitor Height 720
Monitor BPP 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Frequency 60 Hz
Device \\.\DISPLAY1\Monitor0
NVIDIA GeForce 210
Manufacturer NVIDIA
Model GeForce 210
GPU GT218
Device ID 10DE-0A65
Revision A3
Subvendor PNY (196E)
Current Performance Level Level 1
Current GPU Clock 135 MHz
Current Memory Clock 135 MHz
Current Shader Clock 135 MHz
Voltage 0.850 V
Technology 40 nm
Die Size 57 mm²
Release Date 2009
DirectX Support 10.1
OpenGL Support 4.1
Bus Interface PCI Express x16
Temperature 42 °C
Driver version 9.18.13.4195
BIOS Version 70.18.5f.00.00
ROPs 4
Shaders 16 unified
Memory 1024 MB
Count of performance levels : 3
Level 1 - "Default"
GPU Clock 135 MHz
Memory Clock 270 MHz
Shader Clock 135 MHz
Level 2 - "2D Desktop"
GPU Clock 405 MHz
Memory Clock 810 MHz
Shader Clock 324 MHz
Level 3 - "3D Applications"
GPU Clock 589 MHz
Memory Clock 1402 MHz
Shader Clock 500 MHz

Quote
JamesD
The normal font seems better for me. I have bad eyesight and requires the 1280x720 resolution. The GeForce 210 and the 2269 monitor can display much more, but then it is too small for me to read text.

So, you have cleartype in windows display settings and in K-meleon settings disabled, I guess. If not, have a look to them and check what do you find better.

After that letters will look sharper, but uglier as well, but maybe helps to your eye strain.

For me ClearType blurs too much and causes it to me. More on CRT monitors.

Quote
JohnHell
So, you have cleartype in windows display settings and in K-meleon settings disabled, I guess. If not, have a look to them and check what do you find better.

I made my choice by looking at the images in your post. I do not know what my machine's settings are. I am on Win 10 and I stay confused by the settings there.

In display settings there is a check mark in the "Turn on clear type". I cannot understand if that means I will turn it on if I continue or is it already on. I just click cancel and quit.

Where is the setting in KM?

Quote
JamesD
Where is the setting in KM?

They are in about:config. Have a look at my post above; my settings differ widely from the defaults. You can find out more about what the settings mean here:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/anti-aliasing-tuner/

I used their documentation as a reference, rather than installing the extension, which merely changes the values in about:config, anyway.

---
Gerry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2016 10:46PM by foliator.

Quote
JamesD

Quote
JohnHell
So, you have cleartype in windows display settings and in K-meleon settings disabled, I guess. If not, have a look to them and check what do you find better.

I made my choice by looking at the images in your post. I do not know what my machine's settings are. I am on Win 10 and I stay confused by the settings there.

In display settings there is a check mark in the "Turn on clear type". I cannot understand if that means I will turn it on if I continue or is it already on. I just click cancel and quit.

If it has a check mark, even I don't use Windows 10, that should mean it is enabled.

Quote
JamesD
Where is the setting in KM?

I only toggle this one. The change happens instantly:
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype.always_use_for_content

false = disabled
true = enabled

Just a note, this preference doesn't have any effect if it is already enabled in Windows because the fonts are always smooth. So it will help you to determine the above: if windows has it enabled or not. Unless Windows 10 respects per application settings... I don't have a clue on that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2016 11:47PM by JohnHell.

I think this is what I have now. Sorry for any extra data. The first section is from my KM 76 config and the second is from my registry. It is the output from Regscanner with the search parameter set to 'cleartype'.

I don't understand the registry stuff about Internet Explorer. I think that I have only Edge, KM-75.1 (default), and KM-76RC2 loaded.

gfx.font_rendering.cleartype.always_use_for_content;false
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype.use_for_downloadable_fonts;true
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.cleartype_level;-1
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.enhanced_contrast;-1
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.force_gdi_classic_for_families;Arial,Consolas,Courier New,Microsoft Sans Serif,Segoe UI,Tahoma,Trebuchet MS,Verdana
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.force_gdi_classic_max_size;15
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.gamma;-1
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.pixel_structure;-1
gfx.font_rendering.cleartype_params.rendering_mode;-1

HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main	UseClearType	REG_SZ	no	9/25/2016 7:51:57 AM	3	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemSettings\SettingId\SystemSettings_Display_ClearType	DllPath	REG_SZ	C:\Windows\System32\SettingsHandlers_nt.dll	9/25/2016 4:23:36 AM	44	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemSettings\SettingId\SystemSettings_Display_ClearType	SyncType	REG_SZ	None	9/25/2016 4:23:36 AM	5	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemSettings\SettingId\SystemSettings_Display_ClearType	Type	REG_SZ	Action	9/25/2016 4:23:36 AM	7	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemSettings\SettingId\SystemSettings_Display_ClearType	DllPath	REG_SZ	C:\Windows\System32\SettingsHandlers_nt.dll	9/25/2016 4:23:36 AM	44	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemSettings\SettingId\SystemSettings_Display_ClearType	SyncType	REG_SZ	None	9/25/2016 4:23:36 AM	5	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemSettings\SettingId\SystemSettings_Display_ClearType	Type	REG_SZ	Action	9/25/2016 4:23:36 AM	7	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	OwningPublisher	REG_SZ	{0a88862d-20a3-4c1f-b76f-162c55adbf93}	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	39	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	Enabled	REG_DWORD	0x00000000 (0)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	4	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	Isolation	REG_DWORD	0x00000000 (0)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	4	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	ChannelAccess	REG_SZ	O:BAGYDA;;0x2;;;S-1-15-2-1)(A;;0xf0007;;;SY)(A;;0x7;;;BA)(A;;0x7;;;SO)(A;;0x3;;;IU)(A;;0x3;;;SU)(A;;0x3;;;S-1-5-3)(A;;0x3;;;S-1-5-33)(A;;0x1;;;S-1-5-32-573)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	161	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	Type	REG_DWORD	0x00000002 (2)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	4	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	OwningPublisher	REG_SZ	{0a88862d-20a3-4c1f-b76f-162c55adbf93}	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	39	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	Enabled	REG_DWORD	0x00000000 (0)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	4	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	Isolation	REG_DWORD	0x00000000 (0)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	4	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	ChannelAccess	REG_SZ	O:BAGYDA;;0x2;;;S-1-15-2-1)(A;;0xf0007;;;SY)(A;;0x7;;;BA)(A;;0x7;;;SO)(A;;0x3;;;IU)(A;;0x3;;;SU)(A;;0x3;;;S-1-5-3)(A;;0x3;;;S-1-5-33)(A;;0x1;;;S-1-5-32-573)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	161	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	Type	REG_DWORD	0x00000002 (2)	9/25/2016 4:23:59 AM	4	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Publishers\{0a88862d-20a3-4c1f-b76f-162c55adbf93}		REG_SZ	Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner	9/25/2016 4:24:00 AM	37	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Publishers\{0a88862d-20a3-4c1f-b76f-162c55adbf93}		REG_SZ	Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner	9/25/2016 4:24:00 AM	37	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Publishers\{0a88862d-20a3-4c1f-b76f-162c55adbf93}\ChannelReferences\0		REG_SZ	Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	9/25/2016 4:24:00 AM	48	
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Publishers\{0a88862d-20a3-4c1f-b76f-162c55adbf93}\ChannelReferences\0		REG_SZ	Microsoft-Windows-ClearTypeTextTuner/Diagnostic	9/25/2016 4:24:00 AM	48	
HKU\S-1-5-21-759857908-2888634383-635963333-1001\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main	UseClearType	REG_SZ	no	9/25/2016 7:51:57 AM	3

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2016 12:19PM by JamesD.

Just enable or disable in Windows display settings, no need to dig in the registry

Use this webpage if you want to test it.

http://geocities.ws/jothache/cleartypetest/cleartypetestf.html

Download to drive (complete) if needed

EDIT: looks like, as they are not direct resources, the fonts can't be downloaded, so just download directly:
http://geocities.ws/jothache/cleartypetest/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2016 12:51AM by JohnHell.

I prefer the normal fonts. Currently with a CRT monitor, I have a LED LCD too, but I don't remember what I have there, probably normal too.