Personalization Enable or Disable Font Smoothing in Windows 11


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This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable font smoothing for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Font smoothing is used by default in Windows to make the jagged edges of text look smoother and more readable.


Contents

  • Option One: Enable or Disable Font Smoothing in Visual Effects Performance Options
  • Option Two: Enable or Disable Font Smoothing using REG file


EXAMPLE: Font smoothing enabled and disabled

font_smoothing_enabled.png
font_smoothing_disabled.png





Option One

Enable or Disable Font Smoothing in Visual Effects Performance Options


1 Open Visual Effects Performance Options (SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe).

2 Check (enable - default) or uncheck (disable) Smooth edges of screen fonts for what you want. (see screenshot below)

3 Click/tap on OK.

Smooth_edges_of_screen_fonts.png





Option Two

Enable or Disable Font Smoothing using REG file


1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.

2 Enable Font Smoothing

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_Smooth_edges_of_screen_fonts_for_current_user.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"FontSmoothing"="2"

3 Disable Font Smoothing

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_Smooth_edges_of_screen_fonts_for_current_user.reg


(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"FontSmoothing"="0"

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 Sign out and sign in or restart the computer to apply.

8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

Last edited:
In my version of Windows 11, I don't have the legacy box for Performance Options.; Perhaps you can share with us how to get that back?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
In my version of Windows 11, I don't have the legacy box for Performance Options.; Perhaps you can share with us how to get that back?

Hello Sammy, :alien:

Does running the SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe file in Run (Win+R) open it?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
thank you
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    window 11 home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inc.
    Motherboard
    Enhanced (101 - or 102-key)
Thanks for the guide, wish you would add in parenthesis ClearType as it took me a while to realize that it's the same as font smoothing, also, helps the search algorithms.

Enable or Disable Font Smoothing (ClearType) in Windows 11​

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware m16 R1
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX
    Motherboard
    Alienware
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws F5-5600S4040A32GX2-RS 5200 MHz DDR5 64GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4090 16 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AUO B160QAN02.Z 16" QHD+ 240Hz Screen + ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM UHD 240hz Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    UHD (3840 x 2160)
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 990 PRO 4TB SSDs (RAID 0) + WD_BLACK SN770M 2TB SSD
    PSU
    330W AC Power Adapter
    Cooling
    Noctua NT-H2 + Fujipoly Extreme Thermal Pads + IETS GT300 Cooling Pad
    Keyboard
    Alienware CherryMX mechanical keyboard (Laptop) + SteelSeries Apex 7 TKL - Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (external)
    Mouse
    SteelSeries Rival 5
    Internet Speed
    1 GBPS Down / 350 MBPS Up
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    McAfee AntiVirus
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9500
    CPU
    Intel i7-10875H
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Impact 64 GB 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q w/ 4 GB GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6 UHD+ Touch, InfinityEdge, 500-nits, Anti-Reflecitve
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2400
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 PRO 2TB + 4TB SSDs
    PSU
    Dell 130W Laptop Charger USB C Type C AC Adapter
    Cooling
    Noctua NT-H2 Thermal Paste on CPU + GPU
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Anywhere 3
    Internet Speed
    1 GBPS Down / 350 MBPS Up
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Avast Free Antivirus
Thanks for the guide, wish you would add in parenthesis ClearType as it took me a while to realize that it's the same as font smoothing, also, helps the search algorithms.

Enable or Disable Font Smoothing (ClearType) in Windows 11​

According to Copilot:

ClearType and font smoothing are both techniques used to improve the readability of text on digital screens, but they work in slightly different ways.

ClearType​

ClearType is a technology developed by Microsoft specifically for LCD screens. It uses subpixel rendering, which takes advantage of the individual red, green, and blue subpixels within each pixel on an LCD screen. By manipulating these subpixels, ClearType can create smoother and more readable text, especially at smaller font sizes. This method significantly reduces the jagged edges that can appear on text, making it look more like printed text.

Font Smoothing​

Font smoothing, on the other hand, is a broader term that includes various techniques to make text appear smoother on screens. The most common method is antialiasing, which softens the edges of text by adding shades of gray or color to the pixels around the edges of each character. This helps to reduce the jagged appearance of text, but it can sometimes make text look slightly blurry, especially at smaller sizes.

Key Differences​

  • Technology: ClearType uses subpixel rendering, while font smoothing often relies on antialiasing.
  • Target Devices: ClearType is optimized for LCD screens, whereas font smoothing techniques can be applied to various types of displays.
  • Effectiveness: ClearType generally provides sharper text on LCD screens, while font smoothing can sometimes result in a softer, less sharp appearance.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I found changing the antialiasing settings in the graphics panel such as in Nvidia improves fonts a bit but at the expense some sites like Google Photos in editing mode doesn't work. I wouldn't be surprised if that's true within Windows.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
Hello Sammy, :alien:

Does running the SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe file in Run (Win+R) open it?
Oh, sorry. Missed this last year. No. It's one of the many limitations in the Windows Home version.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
Oh, sorry. Missed this last year. No. It's one of the many limitations in the Windows Home version.
Odd. SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe should be available in all editions.

Visual_Effects.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
To fix the common problem of some text appearing too fuzzy/blurred, as an easy alternative to choosing to completely disable font smoothing, or font antialiasing it also is possible to tame the amount of font smoothness being applied, i.e. by increasing the contrast of the font rendering while still keeping the font antialiasing enabled. Here's how it can be achieved:

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
Odd. SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe should be available in all editions.

View attachment 107556
Thank you! I didn't paste the .exe file correctly, lol.

But the above is one of the first sections I go into Windows after installation. Fonts look the pits on both Windows 11 and Windows 10 but are worse in W11. To compensate, I have my theme set to dark mode. I also use a 32 inch monitor and recommened resolution to 2560 x 1440. I tried all the other lower settings too.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
To fix the common problem of some text appearing too fuzzy/blurred, as an easy alternative to choosing to completely disable font smoothing, or font antialiasing it also is possible to tame the amount of font smoothness being applied, i.e. by increasing the contrast of the font rendering while still keeping the font antialiasing enabled. Here's how it can be achieved:

I hate Github. I have no idea how to download and install files since they appear to be in raw format without an executable. I have no idea why these lads on Github like making things difficult, much like Linux users.

Edit: here is the link to the executable: Releases · bp2008/BetterClearTypeTuner; however, I don't know how to use the application.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
I hate Github. I have no idea how to download and install files since they appear to be in raw format without an executable. I have no idea why these lads on Github like making things difficult, much like Linux users.

Edit: here is the link to the executable: Releases · bp2008/BetterClearTypeTuner; however, I don't know how to use the application.
It's a portable app so you just need to unzip the .exe file BetterClearTypeTuner.exe from the downloaded zipfile to a folder, then right-click on this .exe file in this same folder and choose Run as administrator.

The GUI is pretty much self-explanatory, with not a lot of options to explore. Increasing the Contrast of the font rendering makes the font antialiasing appear sharper (less fuzzy, and less smooth).

My Sony Bravia XR-55X90J uses BGR sub-pixel layout (i.e., as opposed to the more common/widespread RGB sub-pixel layout) so, as an additional fix, I have selected the BGR option in the app. (If you don't know what a sub-pixel layout is, scroll down to PIXELS in this article.)

GitHub makes me feel like McGuyver in a duct tape store. I use duct tape to fix broken Windows a lot, and, Windows with no duct tape is the only thing worse than a pub with no beer.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
The GUI is pretty much self-explanatory, with not a lot of options to explore. Increasing the Contrast of the font rendering makes the font antialiasing appear sharper (less fuzzy, and less smooth).
I'm glad you like Github and find the GUI is self-explanatory. I have no idea how to accomplish what you're asking, I am not going to mess with something so complex. Some of these tweaks can be destructive. I've had issues with fonts on certain websites which were corrupted and only a complete fresh reinstall of Windows resolved that. Besides, my mind isn't wired for Github or Linux. :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
I'm glad you like Github and find the GUI is self-explanatory. I have no idea how to accomplish what you're asking, I am not going to mess with something so complex. Some of these tweaks can be destructive. I've had issues with fonts on certain websites which were corrupted and only a complete fresh reinstall of Windows resolved that. Besides, my mind isn't wired for Github or Linux. :(
What do you mean? You do not need to change the font. If your LCD monitor uses the RGB sub-pixel layout (which is what most LCD monitors use like I said) you only need to see if increasing the Contrast value to something higher than its default setting improves the readability of ClearType text. I.e., by looking at the Normal-Scale sample that appears in the GUI. When you hover your mouse over the > set button it actually even shows a yellow tooltip so, the GUI control that lets you change this Contrast value really is self-explanatory. It's one of the simplest GUIs that I have ever seen:

Better ClearType Tuner.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus TUF Gaming F16 (2024)
    CPU
    i7 13650HX
    Memory
    16GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    512GB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Cooling
    2× Arc Flow Fans, 4× exhaust vents, 5× heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF
  • Operating System
    11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Medion S15450
    CPU
    i5 1135G7
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe
    Sound Card
    Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC Supreme; Emotiva UMC-200; Astell & Kern AK240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia XR-55X90J
    Screen Resolution
    3840×2160
    Hard Drives
    2TB SSD internal
    37TB external
    PSU
    Li-ion
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Logitech K800
    Internet Speed
    20Mbit/s up, 250Mbit/s down
    Browser
    FF

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