Poor font rendering in Windows 8 (blurry text)

There would't be a 12-page thread if it was just an "adjust Cleartype text" issue. Please read before posting, this is a more complex issue that the user can do nothing about (apart from changing the OS, which seems like a great idea lately).

If only it was that easy.

I can have clear and crisp text if I use low resolutions like 1366x768

But I need 1920x1080 since I my monitor is 32".

Anyways, I don't know if this helps but i just notice when I connect remotely using VNC to my Windows 8 pc there is no blurry text. Everything is crisp and clear. My windows 8 pc monitor is a Samsung HD tv.

I use an HP monitor at office when doing remote connections.

Did you guys not read my post within this thread, on April 27, 2013?

You should go back and read it, to understand what's going on.

Microsoft has moved:

• away from using COLOR sub-pixel-antialiasing
• toward now using "standard" (GREYSCALE) antialiasing

because the text needs to:

• look pretty in every shade of every color
• look pretty when rendered on top of any other color
• not flicker when moving in an animation
• look correct on rotated displays

The change is noticeable to most people, in the places Microsoft have applied the new behavior:

• Windows 8 Modern UI Start Screen and Apps
• Office 2013
• The latest versions of Internet Explorer (both Modern version and Desktop version)

I've been accustomed to the color sub-pixel-antialiasing for years now, and my eyes prefer it. So it's been difficult for me to deal with seeing text of all sizes in greyscale antialiasing.  For instance, open up the News app. If the text doesn't look right (maybe fuzzy, or just not smooth like normal), ask yourself why? Turn on Magnifier to 400% and see for yourself - it's greyscale antialiasing!

I also submit this image as proof:

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6264/browserfontantialiasing.png

I use Firefox, and it renders text in a way that I'm used to.

On the right, Internet Explorer looks strange and not as clear.

Start Magnifier, set to 400%, and look for yourself. The proof is in the antialiasing!

As of now, I have not heard any news about the possibility of making this a user-option.

It's likely never going to happen, and if we want to use Windows 8 or later, then we'll likely have to deal with this change.

Ironically enough, I tried to use the ClearType tuner to tell it I want all of my antialiasing to be greyscale, but I couldn't get that to work.

And if you want to really laugh at the inconsistency, open up Magnifier to 400%, and check this out:

• right-click a tray icon, like the volume icon, and notice... color antialiasing
• right-click a pinned taskbar icon, and look at the jump list... greyscale antialiasing
• right-click the far bottom left, so you get the power-user menu... color antialiasing
• Open Word 2013, and look at the template names... greyscale antialiasing
• In Word 2013, hover over a template to see the tooltip... color antialiasing
• In Word 2013, look at the suggested searches at the top... greyscale antialiasing
• In Word 2013, look at the text within that search box... color antialiasing
• Open Internet Explorer on the Desktop, and start typing a URL... color antialiasing
• In Internet Explorer, hit enter to go to that URL, and look at the URL again... greyscale antialiasing
• Even in Internet Explorer in the Modern UI, when typing the URL... color antialiasing

So, at least for me on my Desktop machine and LCD monitor, there's a TON of inconsistency.

BUT....

The content of the pages in IE, the content of the apps in the Modern UI, the content of the documents in Office 2013... have been moved toward greyscale antialiasing, and the user does not have any mechanism to choose color antialiasing. It is what it is, but at least you hopefully now KNOW why it looks/feels different.

If I'm wrong about any of this info, I apologize. But I'm trying to share the information, so that people will understand.

Regards,

Jacob Klein

Thank you Jacob.

Many of us do understand this.

It is just sad that Microsoft:

• have forced this awful blurry greyscale antialiasing upon users
• have kept their support staff in the dark about the issue
• refuse to acknowledge the issue exists
• have given us all the impression they couldn't care less about the user's eyesight

My guess is nothing will be done about it until the lawsuits for damaged eyesight start rolling in.

I will not use any app (IE 10, office 2013, other 3rd party) with this rendering.

MS-cleartype was a clear 3rd place compared to linux and OSX on font rendering.

Now, MS retired cleartype and the successor is even worse. Widening the gap when you were the worst is a braindead move.