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Fuzzy Text
- Thread starter EchoPure
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Have you used OSX before? Font rendering on OSX (and now some modern Windows apps/frameworks) is more "fuzzy" and less locked to sharp pixels as opposed to what most people are used to with Windows font rendering.
The result is text that's rendered more closely to printed text. Some people prefer it and some don't. On a high DPI screen like both Macbook Airs have it shouldn't be as noticeable as on lower DPI screens.
Edit: Your screenshot looks normal to me on my Macbook. Try googling for OSX screenshots and looking at them on your Vaio screen. That should help determine whether you're just seeing the difference in font rendering or whether it's something with your display.
Let me guess, you have the LG screen right?
The fonts look slightly fuzzy on mine too. Not sure if the samsung screens are like this as well.
The fonts look slightly fuzzy on mine too. Not sure if the samsung screens are like this as well.
Yes, I have the LG screen. When I was at Futureshop, and I don't remember the text being as fuzzy as my new Macbook Air.
I believe the iPhone 4s have LG LCDs too right? My iPhone 4 screen looks amazing compared to the Macbook Air screen.
Is there anyway to configure the rendering??
Also, is there a way to set the default text size to be bigger? I find that I constantly have to zoom on each page that loads in safari.
I believe the iPhone 4s have LG LCDs too right? My iPhone 4 screen looks amazing compared to the Macbook Air screen.
Is there anyway to configure the rendering??
Also, is there a way to set the default text size to be bigger? I find that I constantly have to zoom on each page that loads in safari.
This is the calibration file that I use. i found it easier to read after I changed the calibration settings. Found it on another thread here on macumors:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7269253/CustomMacRumors.icc
Copy it to Library\ColorSync\Profiles
After the file is copied, press alt + F2
Go to the color tab
Select the profile to apply settings. (this profile is also called color lcd)
You can tell that you are choosing the right one by hovering over it - It will display the file name CustomMacRumors.icc)
The profile is known to kill darker colors notably blacks but I find it is alot easier to read with this profile.
You can set the zoom level in safari for all pages with an extension called "AllPagesZoom."
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/35756/allpageszoom-safari-extension
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7269253/CustomMacRumors.icc
Copy it to Library\ColorSync\Profiles
After the file is copied, press alt + F2
Go to the color tab
Select the profile to apply settings. (this profile is also called color lcd)
You can tell that you are choosing the right one by hovering over it - It will display the file name CustomMacRumors.icc)
The profile is known to kill darker colors notably blacks but I find it is alot easier to read with this profile.
You can set the zoom level in safari for all pages with an extension called "AllPagesZoom."
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/35756/allpageszoom-safari-extension
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Which model do you have? 11.6 or 13?
All of the 11.6" airs I've seen had very crisp screens due to the high dot pitch.
You might be seeing a difference in anti-aliasing settings. Anti-aliasing is how the jagged pixels in fonts are smoothed by adding faintly colored pixels to the edge of the fonts. Usually Mac OS smooths fonts at smaller size than Windows does.
All of the 11.6" airs I've seen had very crisp screens due to the high dot pitch.
You might be seeing a difference in anti-aliasing settings. Anti-aliasing is how the jagged pixels in fonts are smoothed by adding faintly colored pixels to the edge of the fonts. Usually Mac OS smooths fonts at smaller size than Windows does.
I found this to be really interesting, didn't know about it:
http://earthli.com/news/view_article.php?id=1610
http://earthli.com/news/view_article.php?id=1610
I just went on my Vaio laptop to look at the screenshot I took.
The text looks like how the picture is displaying it on the Vaio.
Does this mean I'm just not used to the rendering of fonts on osx?
I have the 13 inch model.
The text looks like how the picture is displaying it on the Vaio.
Does this mean I'm just not used to the rendering of fonts on osx?
I have the 13 inch model.
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Please stop this nonsense. I've used both screen types, and they are both very good.
It should not matter weather its an LG or Samsung display. Ultimately, they are both identical with perhaps a minor discoloration on the LG display which OCD people seem to pick up and notice.
I'm just stating my opinion that's all. SInce you have used both screens, which of the two do you prefer?
Part of that is that the iPhone 4 has more than double the DPI of the Macbook Air screens
once you take a picture (screenshot), each computer is simply displaying the image file (e.g., jpeg). there's no font rendering going on, because it's not showing font, it's showing an image.
anyways, yes, font smoothing in OSX is different than in Windows. rendering font is like writing on a lite brite, since you're using pixels. you have to approximate curves and shapes, so you have to choose how to approximate. Apple's approach is to stay as close to the font shape as possible, even at the cost of readability, fuzziness. Microsoft's approach is to get the most readable approximation, even at the cost of altering the font's shape, or aesthetics.
Apple font is fuzzy, which i hate. i was on a mac for years, but have now been on windows for about 2 years and looking back at the fuzz is hard. i'm getting a new air soon and i'm hoping i can adjust.
traditionally user's have been able to adjust the amount of font smoothing in OSX (light, medium, strong). for Snow Leopard, you had to go into the terminal, or download TinkerTool. not sure what to do in Lion.
anyways, it doesn't work miracles, but it might help a tiny bit. it's still fuzzy on any setting. you can (could) also turn it off completely, but then it looks atrocious.
what resolution do you have on the Vaio? i'm on a high res thinkpad and font is crystal clear. it makes going back to the fuzz even harder.
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Fuzzy text was the first thing I noticed when I first started using OS X having used Windows for many years. As others have mentioned, it is a design decision made by Apple to render fonts more faithfully. Many in the design and related industries prefer and appreciate this aesthetic. It does take some time getting used to it but your eyes adjust eventually.
Is text in iOS the same as text in OS X? I'm a lifelong PC looking to buy my first Mac but the fuzzy text is not a welcome topic. I don't have a problem with text on my iPad, so I'm hoping it would be the same on the MBA.
Don't different browsers render text differently too?
Safari has always seemed more natural than the more digitized text of IE and Firefox to me.
I use a safari extension to automatically make the page zoom in- http://sidetree.com/extensions.html#AllPagesZoom
Safari has always seemed more natural than the more digitized text of IE and Firefox to me.
I use a safari extension to automatically make the page zoom in- http://sidetree.com/extensions.html#AllPagesZoom