Improve LCD Screen Readability with ClearType fonts in Windows XP

ClearType is a software technology developed by Microsoft that improves the readability of text on existing LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays), such as laptop screens, Pocket PC screens and flat panel monitors. With ClearType font technology, the words on your computer screen look almost as sharp and clear as those printed on a piece of paper.

How does this help improve the quality of digital type display?

Traditional computer font rendering assumes that each pixel is either 'on' or 'off', appearing as tiny black squares. Letters appear jagged on the computer screen because they are formed from many of these tiny squares or pixels. Traditional grayscaling assumes that each pixel has no internal structure, so it smooths the jagged edges but sacrifices edge sharpness. ClearType knows that LCDs are made up of coloured sub-pixels. ClearType uses a model of the human visual system to choose the brightness values of the sub-pixels. With ClearType, letters on the computer screen appear smooth, not jagged, yet the edges remain sharp.

ClearType font technology works with current displays. Readability on CRT monitors will be improved somewhat, but it will be dramatically improved on colour LCD monitors, such as those found in laptops and high-quality flat desktop displays.

Turning on ClearType fonts

1. Right click on the desktop and select Properties.

2. Select the Appearance tab and press the Effects... button.

3. Click the checkbox next to the words "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" and select "ClearType" from the dropdown field.

4. Finally, close the Effects dialog by clicking OK and click Apply to complete the process.

5. Use this online tuner to turn on and tune your Windows XP ClearType settings.

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