What's the deal with fonts

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Commodore

Senior Member
Outlook version
Outlook 2021 64 bit
Email Account
IMAP
Just as I came to terms with the fact that there's way too much white in Office 2013 (especially Outlook) -- at least we're not using 14" CRTs at 60 Hz refresh rate anymore -- I realized that the content fonts are displayed at a pretty low quality. And by "low" I mean the worst possible rendering ever (heck, even Commodore 64 was better :) ). They seem a little "blurred" (for the lack of a better word). It goes for plain-text email content using Calibri or Consolas, as well as HTML messages using Times New Roman (for example).

I searched the net for solutions, and from what I found out, this is also something we have to live with now (correct me if I'm wrong or if there is some magic setting I can use to make it better -- apart from using size 18 fonts instead of 9 or 10...).

I use Windows 7 -- is it the same on Windows 8 or is it better there?

(I do have ClearType well adjusted; interface fonts, as well as other programs' fonts, are more or less normal, but message content fonts in Outlook 2013 all seem to have this problem.)
 
I don't think Win8 will make it any better, disabling hardware graphics acceleration should fix it. There is a setting in word that might help too - go to File > Options > Advanced > Display and check the box for "Use subpixel positioning to smooth fonts on screen"
 
I tried that already (along with Disable hardware graphics acceleration, or various on/off combinations of the two). It doesn't really do much, at least not on my system. Right now I have "Use subpixel..." checked and "Disable..." unchecked. Seems like another "one step forward, two steps back" thing we have to live with. :/
 
To warm up this ancient thread... is the situation any better in Outlook 2016?
 
No, it's pretty much the same. 2016 adds a 'colorful' theme and tweaks the gray a bit, but it still looks pretty much the same as 2013 - white, now with a little color. The fonts here aren't fuzzy so i can't say if that will be fixed.

My only words of warning - you can't easily go back to 2013 if you upgrade - support will authorize it only for specific situations (using exchange 2007). That is as of today at least - they are considering an easy downgrade plan, one that is open to all and does not include a call to support.
 
Fonts bug me most now, yes. Unless it's dependent on the video card.
 
I'm guessing it's the video card. Or the screen resolution - i know icons tend to be a bit fuzzy at the higher zoom levels often used with high resolution screens.
 
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