why the fonts in word 2013 are blurry?

".. .A looked closely than how pixels are aliased in both programs. in 2003 aliasing is made with COLOR pixels around black font, so from distance text looks sharper and lighter. But in 2013 aliasing is made only with grey pixels around black font. What looks as bolder and less sharp text looking from distance. "

A:

Yes; exactly this is the point and also the reason why there is no solution to it but to switch to other Office Suits.

Microsoft's Office 2007 and 2010 are useable, both in Win7 and 8.x , Word/Excel etc have crisp clear fonts like the Desktop on Win Vista/7 Cleartype RGB ). Not so starting with Office 2013 or the cloud based 365 App ( or even the now-free OneNote Desktop app ), this ugly font problem resides within the Apps themselves.

With the Introduction of Win8.x's "Metrofication"  and the "Tablets are cooler than PCs"  hype Microsoft abandonded this proven rendering in favor of the **** grayscale hinting all across their products, Office,Windows, Visual Studio etc . Maybe they really thought nobody uses Laptops and HD Monitors these days any longer ? ;-)

"Yet another thing in 2013 office is not great. "

A:

The very same font-rendering issue makes Windows 8.x itself look so out of order ( Apps/Metro-Part and InternetExplorer of the OS use grayscale Hinting , Desktop Side uses RGB Cleartype ) - not even fixed in the current Windows 10 preview.. ; To topple that : Metro-Apps scale text differentely than the Desktop, Resolutions over 1366x768 will make Metro text look strange but the Desktop great, Resolutions under leads to blurry text on Desktop but perfect Metro .. 

Maybe Microsoft gets their products fixed to the quality it once was with Office /Windows vNext..

They should engage  experts in "USEABILITY" and "READABILITY" before the products get released.

Well said Sascha_NRW!

Usability and readability have simply gone missing since Office 2013 and IE11.

Once again I have to express dismay my that:

a) Microsoft are so stupid they don't even get this 

OR  (more likely)

b) they are simply so arrogant and full of themselves they don't even care.

Either way it is a recipe to lose customers real fast.

They do care and they don't: Depends how you look.

They push new technologies and test on US. Some are praising new stuff some are hesitating to step forward. That's reason they always sell two version of OS at once. Now this is Windows 7 and 8. So we can choose. And they measure way of usage. Based on this, new (improved) version will be made. 

But they do not need to care more than that. What on earth you'll install on your PC if not some version of Windows and some version of Office?  Face it: There is not very likely, that any windows user will made a switch. Mac users and Linux user do not bother with Windows at all. So sooner or later we will buy (or steal) new version of MS software, so they do not need to shake for their customers. I waited from 1994 (first beta release) until early 2009 to finally get fully functional windows'95-like OS. Now I do not have any need for something else, until that new OS will be so sophisticated and thought as 7 is. 

While Office 2003 share the same sympathies as Win7, it was dated by its design even in 2003. While I could not stand 2007 GUI and I never worked a minute with 2007 or 2010 version of office, a 2013 version is somehow acceptable for me. But this font issue and some macros and mail merge issues holds me still having 2003 installed as well. While all reading and writing I do in 2003, finishing is done in 2013. 

My FIX (now as I know the issue) is having really big fonts on screen. Like 200% of magnification. Issue is gone. On my laptop I do not have Office installed at all, so low resolution is not issue there. I use WEB app, where issue is not present. On my Windows Phone, fonts are so small, that this is no issue as well. The only issue is on fullHD desktop screen at 100% magnification. Thanks to this thread, I fixed that too. 

I'm sure (hope) they'll figure out how to fix that issue too. Maybe like "detecting" where is viewed and engaging clear type according to that. 

• in IE11, they gave cleartype back already.

PS: I feel sorry for all users of Windows 8 with non touch displays, because of all issues it brings and no real solution to compensate (from that point is even worst than Vista, who really brought wast improvement on security over XP). It ridiculous to have W8 on PC, but it is fantastic on phone - made me step into the smart phone community. Dr.GEEK - THIS is the way to force MS to improve their software and make it better - not using it until they finish it. Use W7 as I do and all my customers I care for their IT.

well well.. there is a parallel universe existing already..  ;)

Ubuntu Linux or its apps has no "hurt-my-eyes"- features , so I loaded this onto my laptop because I have to WORK with it and not wait until Microsoft have finnished their software. I found the included Office Suite does everything I ever did with MS Office, so already lost me as Officeconsumer at least for now but more probably forever, because this Libre Suite is available for Windows too .

To go back to ancient versions of MSO is no option for me and PCs where the vendor offers only Win8.x drivers have no other way to either stick with that horrible 8.x Mishmash or to grab a  real Operating System for a Desktop ...  like I did.

If Win10 is nice then I might give that a try, but I fear for a relabeled Win81 with a patched on Startmenu, but having all the fonts- and design- issues we spoke about in this thread. The preview builds indicate this. So to be prepared for the case of "Win10/Office16= next fail" I am making myself familiar with alternatives in time already now.

Cheers.