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Thread: 9.10 Problem: Disable Subpixel font smoothing in Firefox?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    15

    [SOLVED] 9.10 Problem: Font hinting in Firefox?

    Yesterday I made a fresh install of Karmic Koala. I hate Subpixel smoothing (aka ClearType). I always set the font smoothing method to Grayscale.

    The problem is Firefox insists on using Subpixel smoothing in rendering pages and in the interface itself (menu bar, address bar and dialogue boxes). The big blurry thick fonts are hideous.

    Gnome Help has nearly the same problem. The rendering engine also uses Subpixel smoothing.

    Here's a screenshot to understand what I mean:



    Notice the difference between the fonts in Gnome's panel and those of Firefox's menu bar.

    Note: My problem is the opposite of this.

    Any ideas?

    EDIT: changed title to clarify that the problem is that of font hinting and not smoothing. See post below.
    Last edited by wisam; October 30th, 2009 at 04:45 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    Re: 9.10 Problem: Disable Subpixel font smoothing in Firefox?

    The problem turned out to be an issue of font hinting and not smoothing.

    Firefox doesn't follow Gnome's rules. It uses slight font hinting instead of full hinting.

    The solution is as follows:

    Code:
    sudo rm /etc/fonts/conf.d/10-hinting-slight.conf
    Code:
    sudo ln -s /etc/fonts/conf.avail/10-hinting-full.conf /etc/fonts/conf.d/
    Now I get my preferred thin and non-blurry fonts in Firefox.
    Some might consider them ugly.
    Last edited by wisam; November 23rd, 2009 at 04:16 PM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
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    947
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    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: 9.10 Problem: Disable Subpixel font smoothing in Firefox?

    Quote Originally Posted by wisam View Post
    Code:
    sudo rm /etc/fonts/conf.d/10-hinting-slight.conf
    Thanks -- for me, this first part seems sufficient to get Firefox looking like the rest of the desktop again.


    Firefox doesn't follow Gnome's rules.
    This is a really bad regression IMHO. I'm surprised the Ubuntu maintainers let this through.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    9

    Re: 9.10 Problem: Disable Subpixel font smoothing in Firefox?

    Hello.

    Thank you for a solution for setting the font hinting.

    I still have problems with subpixel smoothing in Firefox. My desktop and other programs are ok.

    Anyone have a solution?

    I use None Smoothing and Full Hinting in my Desktop settings. This gives me crisp and sharp fonts.
    Last edited by robhauge; November 1st, 2009 at 08:06 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    15

    Re: 9.10 Problem: Disable Subpixel font smoothing in Firefox?

    Quote Originally Posted by robhauge View Post
    Hello.

    Thank you for a solution for setting the font hinting.

    I still have problems with subpixel smoothing in Firefox. My desktop and other programs are ok.

    Anyone have a solution?

    I use None Smoothing and Full Hinting in my Desktop settings. This gives me crisp and sharp fonts.
    Edit /etc/fonts/conf.d/10-antialias.conf to replace "true" with "false" as follows:

    Code:
    <?xml version="1.0"?>
    <!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
    <fontconfig>
    <!--  Use the Antialiasing -->
      <match target="font">
        <edit name="antialias" mode="assign"><bool>false</bool></edit>
      </match>
    </fontconfig>
    EDIT: most people will hate their fonts without anti-aliasing.
    If you want gray-scale smoothing with full hinting, follow post number 2.
    Last edited by wisam; November 4th, 2009 at 09:36 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Surrey, BC, Canada
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    12
    Distro
    Hardy Heron (Ubuntu Development)

    Re: 9.10 Problem: Disable Subpixel font smoothing in Firefox?

    THANK YOU WISAM! You've made my Firefox usable once again.
    FWIW there's a bug report about this problem, see here.

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