Windows XP users can greatly improve the appearance of on-screen text with a featured called Clear Type. If text on your display looks similar to the screenshot directly below this paragraph, you should consider following the rest of the instructions in this article.
The type shown above features ugly, jagged edges. In places where a character rounds off, the pixels’ edges are quite apparent. This is the way text is rendered by default in Windows XP. Enabling ClearType will smooth out these font edges, making on-screen text far more legible (especially on flat panel LCDs).
- Using Internet Explorer, visit the ClearType page on Microsoft’s site.
- Check the box to turn on ClearType
- Follow the on-screen directions to fine-tune your font settings.
Here is the sample text from above, re-rendered in Windows XP with ClearType enabled:
When you first start using this feature, it may take a while for your eyes to adjust to the new font settings. Give yourself a while to get settled, and you’ll realize what an advantage it is to use font smoothing.
How it Works
You’ve heard of “pixels”, right? Your screen is a matrix if tiny dots, each one being a single pixel. The computer illuminates the pixels in various colors and at various brightness levels in order to display content. If each pixel can only be one of two states, on or off, rounded edges will appear jagged.
But these pixels aren’t really the atomic unit of your display. The pixels are actually made up of smaller “subpixels”, i.e. pixels inside pixels. ClearType is able to take advantage of your display hardware’s ability to control these subpixels. The system can light up select subpixels which results in the larger pixel being partially lighted. This makes it possible to draw much finer edges that, to your eye, appear much closer to being truly round.
