# 'W' and 'V' Look Faded On My Computer Screen. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2013, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326 "2013-11-20T08:25:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/1 "2013-11-20T08:25:54Z")
I just noticed something today on the SDMB. “W” and “V” look _a little_ faded on my computer screen. Every other letter apparently seems fine. Has anyone else noticed this? What could be the cause of this? It doesn’t seem to be a serious flaw. And everything else seems just fine, as I said. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/2 "2013-11-20T08:52:26Z")
Have you changed or updated anything on your computer? Changed browsers? Installed any new fonts? Is the zoom level in your browser set to normal (sometimes zooming can make fonts render weirdly) - to reset it, try pressing \zero (works in all the major browsers) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/3 "2013-11-20T12:20:11Z")
I have this problem also after my computer did automatic updates Sunday night. I think it’s related to another problem discussed in another thread about [SDMB Visual Changes (IE11)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=708104) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/4 "2013-11-20T13:12:42Z")
Adjust (or readjust) your ClearType settings. It’s a text enhancement feature built into Windows displays. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/5 "2013-11-20T13:53:03Z")
MEWA: ClearType is under Control Panel | Appearance and Personalization | Display, left hand menu. It’s worth taking a few minutes to set it, if you’ve never bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/6 "2013-11-20T15:08:46Z")
Wouldn’t it be useful to find out what OS and browser the OP is actually using before offering suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/7 "2013-11-20T15:17:28Z")
This technically is more of a General Questions issue. So that’s where it’s going. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/8 "2013-11-20T15:25:51Z")
I don’t have any helpful advice but if it makes you feel better, Jim, [you’re not the first person to suffer this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=614408) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/9 "2013-11-20T16:18:31Z")
Yes I see it too (and I have Clear Type on). I think it is just a mater of the way the pixels are arranged in the particular font used by the SDMB. Diagonal lines as in W and V cannot be fully filled in with pixels at relatively small font sizes. If you use the Windows Magnifier you should be able to see what is happening. Possibly turning Clear Type off would fix it, but that is probably not a good idea as all the other letters will look worse. The effect will go away if you increase your browser font size sufficiently (Cntrl+), and possibly also if you decrease it (Cntrl-), but at what is the sweet spot size for me, V and W do indeed look a bit faded. I am not sure if it is possible for users to change the SDMB default font. If so, that might well work too. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/10 "2013-11-20T17:12:07Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Wouldn’t it be useful to find out what OS and browser the OP is actually using before offering suggestions? The user base is 90%+ Windows and most OSes and browsers have equivalent technology. I’d rather make a useful suggestion that might move things forward than spend two days discussing which video driver he might be using. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/11 "2013-11-20T21:37:18Z")
Well, I for one welcome our new font overlords who have verily provided us with this new multi-intensity-valued way to show the various letters of the alphabet. It appears that my browser wants to display the letter Y as well as W and V in this variant style. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/12 "2013-11-20T21:41:31Z")
S[COLOR=Gray][COLOR=LightBlue]mar[/COLOR]t ass.[/COLOR] ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/13 "2013-11-21T00:18:06Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > This technically is more of a General Questions issue. > > So that’s where it’s going. > > Thanks Not really. It’s a question about how the SDMB renders thing to those who have recently updated to IE11. Moved back to ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/14 "2013-11-21T04:38:11Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Not really. It’s a question about how the SDMB renders thing to those who have recently updated to IE11. > > Moved back to ATMB. It is nothing to do with IE11. I see the effect in question in Firefox, and I have been aware of it for a long time. As I said in my previous post, I believe it has to do with the pixel map of the default font in which the SDMB is displayed. I do not know, however, whether or how this font can be changed, either by a user or the board administration. In any case, the matter is of little importance. It does not significantly impact readability. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/15 "2013-11-21T06:58:21Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I see the effect in question in Firefox You could fix it by using IE11 ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/16 "2013-11-21T07:03:55Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > You could fix it by using IE11 No, I see it in IE11 too. As I said earlier, its salience depends on the font size (on the zoom), but the effect appears in both IE and Firefox. I haven’t tried in other browsers but I would be quite surprised if it does not occur in them too. It is not a browser issue, it is a font issue. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/17 "2013-11-21T07:09:18Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > No, I see it in IE11 too. As I said earlier, its salience depends on the font size (on the zoom), but the effect appears in both IE and Firefox. I haven’t tried in other browsers but I would be quite surprised if it does not occur in them too. It is not a browser issue, it is a font issue. It was a joke, related to my post in the other IE11 thread, I don’t like to use smileys because it feels too obvious. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/18 "2013-11-21T08:13:50Z")
It’s the way you tell 'em, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/19 "2013-11-21T12:21:19Z")
Well, I’ve moved it back to General Questions since it has to do with general computer issues. **samclem** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326/20 "2013-11-21T14:17:50Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Well, I’ve moved it back to General Questions since it has to do with general computer issues. > > **samclem** , moderator Actually no. Not if what I have said is right (and no one is really contradicting me). It is a result of the font the board uses, and very likely can only be fixed (if at all) at your end, by changing the default font. Although, as I have also said, it does not really matter much. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/w-and-v-look-faded-on-my-computer-screen/674326.md?page=2)