On Mon, Jul 03, 2017 at 01:57:24PM +1200, Ben Caradoc-Davies wrote:
> On 01/07/17 17:21, Sven Joachim wrote:
> > This is an effect of the subpixel hinting mode which is enabled since
> > freetype 2.7.  Setting FREETYPE_PROPERTIES=truetype:interpreter-version=35
> > in the environment should help, at least it did for me.
> 
> Thanks very much, Sven. I did not appreciate that the so-called subpixel
> changes are an entirely new interpreter that is now used by default even
> when subpixel hinting is turned off.

I agree with that! It was quite a surprise to see my carefully crafted
terminal font become all blurry and fuzzy. I spent quite a bit of time
meddling around with the `fontconfig-config` settings matrix to figure
out what was wrong, until I found this bug. I would *also* have expected
this to be changeable through the debconf menus, or at least visible in
the NEWS notice (which I have also read).

I have made a screenshot (attached) of my different experiments in
trying to revert to the original rendering. In the end, I picked the
"Native autohinter, Full hinting, Automatic subpixel rendering, No
bitmapped fonts" setting in fontconfig-config, with the workaround, to
get the rendering I wanted. It's slightly different than the original
rendering, as the box size is more compact, but I prefer it that way.
The "Always subpixel" setting is the setting I seem to have had in
stretch.

I have yet to read the upstream article about the v40 rendering. Maybe
it's just me being picky and too conservative. Maybe I'm just reacting
badly to a change that is good. But to my eyes, the new font rendering
is much blurrier than it should be, and I don't see what can justify
this.

Maybe this looks better on a 300dpi display, but unfortunately, I'm
still in the previous decade here. ;)

Thanks!

A.

-- 
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the
stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
                       - Bertrand Russell, The Triumph of Stupidity, 1933

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