# Smoothing Fonts Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980 "2008-06-15T04:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![notlikely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@notlikely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notlikely)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/1 "2008-06-15T04:26:52Z")
I just switched over to Vista and I think this may be part of the problem. Anyway I use a free image editor called XNVIEW. I used to be able to take a picture and just click add text and type it in and it’d look fine. Now when I try this in Vista the fonts all have color to them. I try to choose the option for black only and the font looks funny. When I magnify the picture I can clearly see the font is black and outlined in color. So I went to the paint program that comes free with Windows and I typed in some text. The fonts look funny there too. They all have color outlines to them. I belive this is to give them a “smooth effect” I was surprised to see this in the paint program. Anyway I think it’s because of Vista. I am using Tahoma font. And it looks pretty bad to have a black font with shades of color all around it ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/2 "2008-06-15T04:59:44Z")
Sounds like [ClearType](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClearType#How_ClearType_works) is the culprit. Though I don’t know why it would also affect an image editor. ---
**Author:** ![notlikely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@notlikely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notlikely)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/3 "2008-06-15T06:07:49Z")
You hit the nail on the head. Clear type effects any programs on windows. So what I did was disable clear type in my settings but the text on the jpgs and then re-enabled clear type. I wonder if you can download Tahoma font that doesn’t do the antialiasing thing? I looked around but didn’t find any free stuff so far. I think part of it may be the standard for Windows Vista (how it comes shipped) is with the higher screen resolution. I like the lower 800x600 resolution so the way the antialias with color instead of shades of gray stands out. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/4 "2008-06-15T06:33:44Z")
How do you turn it off? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/5 "2008-06-15T06:42:56Z")
Don’t worry- found it but I already had enabled it to get a better image of text. However I still find on my 19inch screen (LCD) that the text is not as clear as that on an older CRT monitor. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/6 "2008-06-15T08:17:27Z")
Text is often considerably sharper on LCD if it’s a DVI to DVI connection, rather than the usual Analogue (VGA) connection, though it is usually fine either way if your video card is a reasonably good one with up-to-date drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/7 "2008-06-15T08:28:37Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] Text is often considerably sharper on LCD if it’s a DVI to DVI connection, rather than the usual Analogue (VGA) connection, though it is usually fine either way if your video card is a reasonably good one with up-to-date drivers. [/QUOTE] Guano, the video card is a good one- one of the reasons I bought the computer. Could you please explain a little more about DVI connection? I have analogue. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/8 "2008-06-15T09:05:52Z")
DVI to DVI is a digital to digital connection; there is no interference or noise; there is precision clarity of pixels; it’s generally sharper. I don’t know the technical details but [here’s a link](http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/4520-3174_7-5136369-1.html?part=ecoustics-cnet) that might help you. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2008, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoothing-fonts-question/452980/9 "2008-06-15T09:14:39Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] DVI to DVI is a digital to digital connection; there is no interference or noise; there is precision clarity of pixels; it’s generally sharper. I don’t know the technical details but [here’s a link](http://ecoustics-cnet.com.com/4520-3174_7-5136369-1.html?part=ecoustics-cnet) that might help you. [/QUOTE] Thanks very much. Will follow it up tomorow.