Windows 7 - don't believe the type

Microsoft's Engineering Windows 7 blog has just been updated with a detailed look at one of the unsung developments in the desktop experience. ClearType has slowly been improved and the blog covers a bit of the history, development and research that has gone into delivering what you see on the Windows 7 desktop.

It also explains how to alter the rendering settings in Windows 7 and how to turn it off if you prefer your fonts to be all jagged and industrial looking. There is also details of the ClearType tuner that is part of the Windows Control Panel, allowing you to beat the desktop fonts into the shape you desire. For example, "Because there are differences in monitor characteristics and differences between readers’ eyes, there are font rendering options that can only be optimized by a reader looking at text on their monitor. The ClearType Tuner uses various samples of ClearType, presented in the form of an eye-test, to make fine grained adjustments to the ClearType algorithms. Each wizard page tunes a parameter such as monitor gamma (relationship between voltage and brightness), your sensitivity to color artifacts, and your preference for letter heaviness."

Some of the research that they have undertaken is oddly interesting too, did you know that word recognition is improved 17%, reading speed is improved 5% and eye tiredness is reduced. So next time you realise you've read an entire document without blinking, raise a glass to ClearType, new and improved in Windows 7.