My .fonts.conf: <?xml version="1.0"?> <!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd"> <fontconfig> <match target="font" > <edit mode="assign" name="hinting" > <bool>true</bool> </edit> </match> <match target="font" > <edit mode="assign" name="hintstyle" > <const>hintfull</const> </edit> </match> <match target="font" > <edit mode="assign" name="rgba" > <const>rgb</const> </edit> </match> </fontconfig> freetype 2.1.10 installed with #define TT_CONFIG_OPTION_BYTECODE_INTERPRETER Xft font rendering quality is much inferior to Windows Cleartype. Some tiny fonts aren't readable at all (Impact) and the hinting is erroneos in many cases.
Created attachment 4358 [details] Archive containing examples of font rendering by Xft and ClearType Fonts comparison: Linux vs. Windows; files with _x postfix are rendered by Xft, files with _c postfix are rendered Windows XP ClearType
I actually prefer the clarity of arial_x and verdana_x down to 7 pixels and times_new_roman down to at least 9 pixels, but maybe my display is different from your's (147dpi RGB TFT, don't know the regularity in the spacing of the subpixels though) or maybe my eyes and brain work differently. For 5 or 6 pixels and below, yes, my brain can work out what arial_c and verdana_c are displaying but I wouldn't want to spend much time reading text this size. Perhaps Xft/freetype could hint to subpixels (instead of pixels) at such small sizes but overall I'd prefer to have an Xft system. (I can't say I like either version of impact.) Perhaps more configurability in the system to suit different displays and tastes could be an asset but I wouldn't want to lose the ability to render as is currently done in Xft.
Keith, this sounds like NOTOURBUG, right?
Whose bug is it then?
Mass closure: This bug has been untouched for more than six years, and is not obviously still valid. Please reopen this bug or file a new report if you continue to experience issues with current releases.
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