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Patrick Chinn
pchinn@oregon.uoregon.edu
The text we read on our computer displays is made up of dots, or pixels. When
the computer draws curved or diagonal lines with dots, jagged edges are created.
Technically, this is referred to as aliasing.
To solve this problem, programmers use a technique called anti-aliasing, which
involves shading the pixels along the edge of curves to create a smooth line.
Since the term anti-aliasing applies to both text and graphics, the term "font
smoothing" is used to denote anti-aliased text.
Font smoothing was originally one of several system enhancements included in
the Plus! pack for Windows 95. The feature is also included as standard in more
recent versions of Windows and is available as a free download for Windows 95
users (see http://www.microsoft.com/typography/grayscal/smoother.htm).
To enable font smoothing in Windows 98 and ME:
1. Click Start, point to Settings, then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Display.
3. On the Effects tab, click the "Smooth edges of screen fonts" check
box and click OK.
To enable font smoothing in Windows NT 4:
1. Click Start, point to Settings, then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Display.
3. On the Plus! Tab, click "Smooth edges of screen fonts" and click
OK.
To use ClearType for screen fonts in Windows XP:
1. Click Start->Control Panel-> Appearance and Themes ->Display.
2. On the Appearance tab, click Effects.
3. Select the "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts"
check box, and then click ClearType in the list.
For Macintosh users, Mac OS X 10.1.5 and later support font smoothing by
default (earlier versions of Mac OS do not support font smoothing, but Mac 9.1
users can smooth fonts if they install Adobe Type Manager.) To adjust the
minimum font size for smoothing, open System Preferences and click "General."
Some applications have not been updated to use the Quartz text engine built
into Mac OS X. A freeware solution named Silk is available at http://www.unsanity.com/download.php?product=silk
Silk enables font smoothing in nearly any program running under Mac OS X.
Some users find anti-aliased text to look blurry or fuzzy, while others delight in its silky smoothness. Give font smoothing a try and see which you prefer.