Cleartype Text (blurry font in IE7)

Ross · 01-01-2007, 03:47 PM

I think I just saved my eyesight - after a lot of blurry, oddly rendered text on my monitor in IE7, I checked to see what the buggers had done - it's something called ClearType, which can be (happily) switched off. Apparantly you can "tune" your monitor for Cleartype - info is here for anyone having the same problem I was:

http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/02/03/524367.aspx

Weirdo · 01-01-2007, 03:54 PM

Its a godsend tbh.

Love cleartype, especially in Word and Excel.

But i have been using a tft for god knows how long.

Martin · 01-01-2007, 04:14 PM

Is that why everything looks blurry on my dad's AOL browser and humble CRT monitor? I'll check IE on my shiny new laptop next week and see if it makes any difference.

EDIT: checked the link. That's exactly the problem I found - thought it was my sleep-deprived eyes going screwy.

The Codfather · 01-01-2007, 09:04 PM

I'm with Weirdo on this, Cleartype is fantastic really helps make everything much more readable especially on TFTs and LCDs.

Interestingly enough also, everything in Vista is Cleartyped by default making general desktop browsing just as easy and readable as net browsing.

Ross · 01-01-2007, 10:48 PM

Think I just needed to calibrate the screen, but since Vista is now history (again!) it's no longer much of an issue. On my screen, IE7 make the text blurry and pixellated, very, very hard to read. Killing it was easier than downloading a bunch of tools to make it work properly. I'm sure its great if you happen to have hardware MS approves of ^^

The Codfather · 01-01-2007, 11:41 PM

You didn't actually mention though, are you running a tube or an LCD monitor?

Cleartype is really only made for LCD's as you're right, on most CRT's it just makes everything overblurred and harder to read.

happosai · 02-01-2007, 11:00 AM

Also note that Cleartype doesn't work if you're not running your flat panel at its native resolution: it requires precise control of the individual red, green and blue sub-pixels, which isn't possible if the image is being scaled by the display (this is also why it generally doesn't look good on CRT displays, as control of individual pixels/sub-pixels is not possible).

It seems pretty stupid for there to be a separate setting in IE7 for enabling Cleartype that overrides the system-wide setting (usually accessed via Display Properties > Appearance > Effects...), but then again, it is MS we're talking about...

[Happosai]

Ross · 02-01-2007, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Codfather

You didn't actually mention though, are you running a tube or an LCD monitor?

Cleartype is really only made for LCD's as you're right, on most CRT's it just makes everything overblurred and harder to read.

I'm running on Eizo 19" TFT. It's one of those really good ones ^^ However, it's running off my laptop, which is where I think it gets a bit confused.

I've been reading text off a screen for the last 15 years, and never had a problem with the text before. I think MS is too busy catering to the minority who haven't used a computer with this Vista malarky at the expense of those of us who know what we're doing - throwing the video display options all over hell was NOT a good idea, and redefining the Start menu, yet again, is a similar waste of bloody time - I'm one of those old farts that likes it the "classic" style.

But don't get me wrong, I don't hate Vista. There are some good ideas buried there, I'm just frustrated that MS didn't take enough care to preserve the better parts of their OS in the rush to add a load of nice, if superfluous, extras.

The Codfather · 02-01-2007, 07:32 PM

In Vista's defense.. the settings are still in the old place and everything can be set to classic mode and all the flash can be turned off. There are plenty of advancements over XP that make it more than worth running. (Tbh I really like the idea of the new start menu, keeping it all in the bottom left instead of spanning half the screen is great for neat freaks like me x)

Honestly though, when I got my first LCD (and when I was using this one [20" Wide]) in XP, I actually found it much harder to read without cleartype on.
You're right in that the signal may be getting lost in translation somewhere... maybe it's still trying to run at the laptop's native res rather than the LCD's whcih is resulting in the blur-o-vision you're experiencing?

I run a kind of similar setup, running a laptop to my HDTV and it's lovely and sharp when set to the HDTV's native res with cleartype on.

In the end it's all a lot of fussing and farting though.. I'll give you that.

01-01-2007, 03:47 PM	#1
Ross Ed. Site Admin Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: 3 floors up Posts: 9,303	Cleartype Text (blurry font in IE7) I think I just saved my eyesight - after a lot of blurry, oddly rendered text on my monitor in IE7, I checked to see what the buggers had done - it's something called ClearType, which can be (happily) switched off. Apparantly you can "tune" your monitor for Cleartype - info is here for anyone having the same problem I was: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/02/03/524367.aspx __________________ [N]eko friendly

01-01-2007, 03:54 PM	#2
Weirdo Dangermod! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Yorkshire Ripper Country Posts: 11,893	Its a godsend tbh. Love cleartype, especially in Word and Excel. But i have been using a tft for god knows how long. __________________ Chop chop, unleash the biscuits!

01-01-2007, 04:14 PM	#3
Martin guitaku Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Northallerton, in the Dark Country Posts: 4,384	Is that why everything looks blurry on my dad's AOL browser and humble CRT monitor? I'll check IE on my shiny new laptop next week and see if it makes any difference. EDIT: checked the link. That's exactly the problem I found - thought it was my sleep-deprived eyes going screwy. __________________ Concretebadger.net: Main site and Japanese (de)culture blog

01-01-2007, 10:48 PM	#5
Ross Ed. Site Admin Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: 3 floors up Posts: 9,303	Think I just needed to calibrate the screen, but since Vista is now history (again!) it's no longer much of an issue. On my screen, IE7 make the text blurry and pixellated, very, very hard to read. Killing it was easier than downloading a bunch of tools to make it work properly. I'm sure its great if you happen to have hardware MS approves of ^^ __________________ [N]eko friendly

02-01-2007, 11:00 AM	#7
happosai =(^;^)= Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Stockport, Manchester Posts: 2,595	Also note that Cleartype doesn't work if you're not running your flat panel at its native resolution: it requires precise control of the individual red, green and blue sub-pixels, which isn't possible if the image is being scaled by the display (this is also why it generally doesn't look good on CRT displays, as control of individual pixels/sub-pixels is not possible). It seems pretty stupid for there to be a separate setting in IE7 for enabling Cleartype that overrides the system-wide setting (usually accessed via Display Properties > Appearance > Effects...), but then again, it is MS we're talking about... [Happosai] __________________ . /V\ . o O You're an anime fan? =(@;@)= . . You live in the North-West of England? ~(,,) . . . You're a member of NanimeW?

01-01-2007, 09:04 PM	#4
The Codfather Newly registered Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,000	I'm with Weirdo on this, Cleartype is fantastic really helps make everything much more readable especially on TFTs and LCDs. Interestingly enough also, everything in Vista is Cleartyped by default making general desktop browsing just as easy and readable as net browsing.

01-01-2007, 11:41 PM	#6
The Codfather Newly registered Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,000	You didn't actually mention though, are you running a tube or an LCD monitor? Cleartype is really only made for LCD's as you're right, on most CRT's it just makes everything overblurred and harder to read.

02-01-2007, 07:32 PM	#9
The Codfather Newly registered Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,000	In Vista's defense.. the settings are still in the old place and everything can be set to classic mode and all the flash can be turned off. There are plenty of advancements over XP that make it more than worth running. (Tbh I really like the idea of the new start menu, keeping it all in the bottom left instead of spanning half the screen is great for neat freaks like me x) Honestly though, when I got my first LCD (and when I was using this one [20" Wide]) in XP, I actually found it much harder to read without cleartype on. You're right in that the signal may be getting lost in translation somewhere... maybe it's still trying to run at the laptop's native res rather than the LCD's whcih is resulting in the blur-o-vision you're experiencing? I run a kind of similar setup, running a laptop to my HDTV and it's lovely and sharp when set to the HDTV's native res with cleartype on. In the end it's all a lot of fussing and farting though.. I'll give you that.

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