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Turn on ClearType like Smooth Text in Ubuntu Linux

with 7 comments

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Turning on ClearType mode if you’re using an LCD monitor helps a lot in improving readability. Ubuntu, by default, doesn’t have ClearType turned on. However, you could achieve really nice font smoothing by just choosing an option in the settings.

In order to turn text smoothing on in Ubuntu, do the following:

  • Go to System > Preferences > Appearance
  • Go to the Fonts tab
  • Under rendering, select Subpixel Smoothing (LCDs)

  • Click Close

I’m sure you have noticed the ClearType-like font smoothing on your screen now, haven’t you?

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Written by Shankar Ganesh

April 10th, 2008 at 8:14 pm

Posted in linux

Tagged with ,

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  • http://www.aravindjose.com Aravind

    Shankar,
    I Love the ClearType on Windows.

    I’m waiting for the Ubuntu 8.04.
    Once installed, this is gonna’ be the first few tweaks i’m gonna’ apply…

    thanks…

  • Huy

    Thanks very much for this tip!

    I’m on 8.04 right now and this was the first thing I wondered about. Googled and came across this page.

    Thanks! :)

  • ujx

    I have do the setting but it still haven’t font smoothing effect. Should I need to set any other setting?

  • http://www.yfolio.com Yousef

    Thanks,
    but it still seems to me that it’s not as perfect as windows cleartype smoothing, specially in smaller sizes, am I doing anything wrong?

  • fkpwolf

    This way indeed improved the font display effect. But the font render engine is not cleartype

  • http://chrishatton.homeip.net Christopher Hatton

    Perhaps you just need to experiment with the pixel order setting. For me, Jaunty has the best font anti-aliasing I have ever seen.

  • Aki Laaksovirta

    On my computer, this thing works everywhere, except for the toolbars of the Mozilla programs (Firefox, SeaMonkey, etc.) Is there any way to get Cleartype on in those places?