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Fonts are suddenly ugly. Why?

Hi!  I've never posted a question before, so bear with me.

 

When I installed Windows 8, the fonts were beautiful.  Then, and I'm not sure when it happened, the fonts in IE10 were ugly, seemingly bolded, and/or blurry.  But what seemed like a sudden problem with IE10 was actually a problem with font rendering in many places: the Mail app, even the Start screen!  Clearly this was a font rendering issue with the computer, right?

 

But Firefox and any other third party desktop app still renders fonts perfectly.  So, what gives?

 

I used the Clear Type tuner, and noticed that the fonts look great up until Step 4, but in Step 5, all the fonts look jaggy, and totally ugly.  I want the fonts in Step 4! 

 

I'll show you what I mean, so that it's easier to see:

 

This is the Start screen.  See how distorted the fonts are?

 

This is the Mail app.  See how some lines are inappropriately weighted, almost like they're bolded?

 

This is IE10 and Firefox side by side. Notice how IE10's fonts are disfigured, almost randomly bolded, while Firefox's are clean and even. (This is after some fiddling with ClearType, so neither is perfect, but you get the idea)

 

This is Step 4 of the ClearType tuner. See how the fonts look decent?

 

And this is Step 5. Step 5 seems to be turning the fonts into junk! WHY?!?!

 

 

UPDATE!  I just noticed in a tutorial video that the cleartype tuner is supposed to have 4 steps.  Mine has 5!  What happened?!?!

 

EDIT:  Wait.  I just watched another video and his clear type tuner has 5 steps too.  Now I'm not so sure.           

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Dude,

 

This results if you install third party Font cleaning application.

 

Uninstall the font cleaners.

 

Reset Windows 8 and check.

 

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I don't know what a font cleaner is.  Could it have been downloaded or installed with a third party program without my knowledge?  I know Office does funny things with Cleartype.  Could it be related to Office 2010?

I searched my installed program list, but nothing stands out as out of place.

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In order to attract Microsoft's attention, I've made a new post containing links to all previously posted threads about the same matter (blurriness - fuzziness  - bad font rendering in Windows 8).

 

If you would like to help, please click "Me too" for having the same problem on my post and/or other users' posts I've gathered all in one place. I have already clicked "Me too" on all posts that refer to the same matter.

 

Here is the link to my post:

 

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-performance/poor-font-rendering-in-windows-8-blurry-text/f52a2002-d748-485c-8b9c-4862806ea94a?page=1

 

Thanks,

John

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Found a way to give feedback on the rendering technique change.

 

Go to this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/common/survey.aspx?scid=sw;en;1076

 

At the base of the feedback survey there is a section where we can tell them about the issue.

This will likely be our best bet of getting the text rendering improved, or maybe even ClearType support for the new products.

 

Thanks to @WindowsSupport for providing the link.

 

If we can get enough people sending feedback on the issue, we may just get this fixed.

I'll post this on a few other posts, I will miss heaps so if your up to it, post it wherever you think it'll help.

Jordan

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Last updated March 5, 2023 Views 5,541 Applies to: