ClearType Feature

Got eye strain? Want to improve the clarity of text on your computer?

Then use the "ClearType" feature in WindowsXP. Here's how

1. From the desktop, right-click and select "Properties"
2. Select the tab "Appearance" and press the "Effects ..." button
3. Check the box "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts" and select "ClearType" in the drop-down list
4. Click on "OK" and then press "Apply"

To quote TaxProf editor, Paul Caron, source of this tip, "I made this change on both my desktop and laptop, and the results are stunning."

From Microsoft's ClearType Information Page:

ClearType is a software technology developed by Microsoft that improves the readability of text on existing LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays), such as laptop screens, Pocket PC screens and flat panel monitors. With ClearType font technology, the words on your computer screen look almost as sharp and clear as those printed on a piece of paper.

ClearType works by accessing the individual vertical color stripe elements in every pixel of an LCD screen. Before ClearType, the smallest level of detail that a computer could display was a single pixel, but with ClearType running on an LCD monitor, we can now display features of text as small as a fraction of a pixel in width. The extra resolution increases the sharpness of the tiny details in text display, making it much easier to read over long durations.

Although the quote doesn't mention tube monitors, the techonolgy works on them too.

If you go to the ClearType Information Page, you can use the online "Turner" instead of the above instructions.