Weird font issue

[lawtai]

When viewing certain webpages, the font ends up looking off when I use any web browser on my computer.

I checked the encoding and the css says the font should be: font-family: 'Open Sans',sans-serif;

Here is one webpage for an example that shows up looking weird for me.

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/ftc-scolds-apple-google-developers-over-lack-kids-privacy-1C7527970

I've attached a photo of what it looks like.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what's going on? Am i missing a font or something? I'd prefer to not just use firefox fonts and instead use the webpage fonts if possible.

[+Zlip792 MVC]

This is how it looks in FF Nightly with HWA:

[lawtai]

I woudl say that looks better. Is it a font that I don't have?

Just a note, I've tried with hardware acceleration on and off, and it doesn't seem to look any different.

[Mannlich]

I woudl say that looks better. Is it a font that I don't have?

Just a note, I've tried with hardware acceleration on and off, and it doesn't seem to look any different.

Do you use Google Chrome?

[lawtai]

Chrome looks the exact same.

[+Zlip792 MVC]

From where can I check font?? Using Inspect Developer Tool and finding the Style things.

[+Zlip792 MVC]

I check font and it is same as you mentioned in thread start. I think it might be related to some hardware acceleration and do turn on Cleartype in Windows.

[lawtai]

I have clear type on for windows, and have tried with hardware acceleration on and off, which doesn't seem to make a difference. If it's hardware rendering, there's probably not much I can do about it then. Though it seems like it shouldn't look that bad?

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Which gpu and driver??????????

[lawtai]

Using ATI FireGL v3350, driver version 8.353.1.0

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Latest driver I found of this GPU for Windows 7 64-bit is: http://support.amd.c...14〈=English

If you are using Windows XP then it is likely that case of GDI font rendering while I am on Windows 7 which uses DirectWrite font rendering.

In case of XP, I suggest you to use font smoothing 3rd party software like GDI++.

Since this DirectX 9 GPU, it might be not using D2D API for directwrite font rendering.

[lawtai]

I am using winxp. Not much I can do about that as this is on a work computer.

[+Zlip792 MVC]

Try this: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartypepowertoy.mspx

or this: http://www.askvg.com/how-to-get-mac-os-or-linux-style-font-smoothing-in-windows/

In second link, add your explorer.exe if want system wide font smoothness or else just firefox.exe.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

I think the issue you're running into is that the Open Sans font the page is providing is a PostScript type font (vs. TrueType). Any version of Windows prior to Vista (And even on Vista+ if you use GDI) can't render these well, nothing you can really do about it.

Hooking the font APIs (Like in the second link above) could fix it, but that'll also introduce other subtle errors.

[lawtai]

That makes sense. Thanks for the help everyone! I'll try playing around with the fonts, but will most likely just live with how it looks.