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Rocko99991

macrumors 68000
Jul 25, 2017
1,574
2,193
Can someone verify that the command indeed activats subpixel antialiasing? So the letters have that distinctive red-blue color fringe around it?
No, it does not bring back subpixel AA. No color fringes. Its all grayscale.
 

neliason

macrumors 6502a
Oct 1, 2015
516
1,285
Can someone verify that the command indeed activats subpixel antialiasing? So the letters have that distinctive red-blue color fringe around it?

It worked for me. Before I upgraded my 2012 iMac I installed Mojave on an external drive. I enabled the feature with the command. I then took screenshots of some black text on white background in Text Edit. When I examined the screenshots zoomed in I saw the color fringes.

I have not as of yet enabled it on my internal drive which I upgraded to Mojave. I do have the non subpixel anti aliasing enabled.
 

strawbale

macrumors 6502
Mar 25, 2011
395
189
French Pyrenees
I never said anyone should drop 4 grand on a new laptop. Apple has many MacBook options with retina displays at much more affordable prices.

Obviously if you have high end needs though, you’ll need to spend more. Hopefully the work you are doing will more than compensate for the cost.
[doublepost=1537980453][/doublepost]

It’s sad they are still selling that. But if people are willing to buy, it’s hard to refuse their money. Hopefully the rumors of a new retina laptop in that price range are true.
[doublepost=1537980559][/doublepost]

If you are happy that’s great. But don’t expect apple to optimise new versions of macOS for that old display tech.
[doublepost=1537980805][/doublepost]

I know the Air is still popular with students. Hopefully this will be the last year Apple will be selling it without retina.

If you want the best macOS experience then you must have a retins MacBook. If you don’t care, or are willing to compromise on a lousy display for a better performance to price ratio - that’s obviously your call.

I should have qualified my original comment a little better.

The vast majority of pro (Eizo, Nec etc) external monitors for photo editing are non-retina.
 
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F1Mac

macrumors 65816
Feb 26, 2014
1,284
1,604
If you want the best macOS experience then you must have a retins MacBook. If you don’t care, or are willing to compromise on a lousy display for a better performance to price ratio - that’s obviously your call.

I should have qualified my original comment a little better.

For me the best macOS experience doesn’t require a laptop. If I wanted a laptop that would be at the very least a secondary machine. I have worked on desktops and multiple monitors for years and that’s not gonna change anytime soon. So no, I don’t think Apple should be focusing only on retina screens, cause obviously I’m not an isolated case!
 

AlexJoda

macrumors 6502a
Apr 8, 2015
817
619
For me the best macOS experience doesn’t require a laptop. If I wanted a laptop that would be at the very least a secondary machine. I have worked on desktops and multiple monitors for years and that’s not gonna change anytime soon. So no, I don’t think Apple should be focusing only on retina screens, cause obviously I’m not an isolated case!

That is actually the problem! To use a "retina" display in a desktop setting the only way to do this is the super expensive LG UltraFine 5K Display. But this works only with 2017 iMac/iMac Pro and with 2016 and newer MBPs....
 

StellarVixen

macrumors 68040
Mar 1, 2018
3,255
5,779
Somewhere between 0 and 1
Screen Shot 2018-10-01 at 3.37.45 PM.png

Above, monospace font Courier, and variable width San Francisco, seen in menu bar.

Heavy font smoothing turned on. Taken on 13 inch non retina MBP.

Fonts look better than they ever had.
It can be incredibly jarring. Personally I think it is a big deal.
 

StellarVixen

macrumors 68040
Mar 1, 2018
3,255
5,779
Somewhere between 0 and 1
That’s not a fix. It’s a workaround.
Yes, it is a fix.

Stop lying to people that they will be forever stuck with jaggy fonts on non retina screens if they upgrade to Mojave, because that simply isn't true. What is true is that making your fonts look as they did on High Sierra require you to copy and paste a command line into the Terminal, and once you do that, the fonts antialiasing is back.
 

EugW

macrumors G5
Jun 18, 2017
14,981
12,946
Yes, it is a fix.

Stop lying to people that they will be forever stuck with jaggy fonts on non retina screens if they upgrade to Mojave, because that simply isn't true. What is true is that making your fonts look as they did on High Sierra require you to copy and paste a command line into the Terminal, and once you do that, the fonts antialiasing is back.
I guess you haven’t bothered actually reading the full thread, as just a few posts ago I stated running that command brings back subpixel antialiasing and I even posted screengrabs to illustrate that.
 
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StellarVixen

macrumors 68040
Mar 1, 2018
3,255
5,779
Somewhere between 0 and 1
I guess you haven’t bothered actually reading the full thread, as just a few posts ago I stated running that command brings back the the proper subpixel antialiasing (not your workaround) and I even posted screengrabs to illustrate that.

What is that magic fix that you have and I don't?

I am using: defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool NO

Actually, I shouldn't have directed my reply at you, but everyone else responsible for the amount of scaremongering in this thread.
 
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EugW

macrumors G5
Jun 18, 2017
14,981
12,946
I see the screen shots. Which is which? Are both from Mojave?
Both are Mojave. The one with the coloured fringing is after the terminal command was applied.
[doublepost=1538410760][/doublepost]
What is that magic fix that you have and I don't?

I am using: defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool NO

Actually, I shouldn't have directed my reply at you, but everyone else responsible for the amount of scaremongering in this thread.
Sorry, no magic fix. Same fix. I misinterpreted your last post with the screengrab.
 
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Spectrum

macrumors 68000
Mar 23, 2005
1,808
1,115
Never quite sure
I am still on HS, and on a non-retina (2560x1440) screen, but the impact of Apple disabling subpixel font smoothing is already a problem here. If you use Preview, subpixel font smoothing is already disabled. As an example: Here Preview is on left (subpixel AA inactive), Adobe DC on right (subpixel AA active):

upload_2018-10-11_10-11-18.png


It becomes even more glaring when you have small text: subpixel AA (right) has more contrast and easier to read.
upload_2018-10-11_10-12-13.png


Here is a zoom in on the same words: Note the difference the AA makes!
upload_2018-10-11_10-19-38.png

upload_2018-10-11_10-20-3.png


Finally, others may NOT be able to tell, but on a 21 inch retina iMac running HS, I can tell the difference between font rendering in Preview (no subpixel AA) and Adobe DC (subpixel AA). The latter is slightly sharper - especially for smaller font sizes.

Thus I think this is a significant regression that alters clarity for all Mac users.
 
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Rocko99991

macrumors 68000
Jul 25, 2017
1,574
2,193
I am still on HS, and on a non-retina (2560x1440) screen, but the impact of Apple disabling subpixel font smoothing is already a problem here. If you use Preview, subpixel font smoothing is already disabled. As an example: Here Preview is on left (subpixel AA inactive), Adobe DC on right (subpixel AA active):

View attachment 793951

It becomes even more glaring when you have small text: subpixel AA (right) has more contrast and easier to read.
View attachment 793952

Here is a zoom in on the same words: Note the difference the AA makes!
View attachment 793959
View attachment 793960

Finally, others may NOT be able to tell, but on a 21 inch retina iMac running HS, I can tell the difference between font rendering in Preview (no subpixel AA) and Adobe DC (subpixel AA). The latter is slightly sharper - especially for smaller font sizes.

Thus I think this is a significant regression that alters clarity for all Mac users.

Subpixel AA is active in most of HS. I can't speak for all apps though. In your case seems to be an app issue.
 

Ritsuka

Cancelled
Sep 3, 2006
1,464
969
I am still on HS, and on a non-retina (2560x1440) screen, but the impact of Apple disabling subpixel font smoothing is already a problem here. If you use Preview, subpixel font smoothing is already disabled. As an example: Here Preview is on left (subpixel AA inactive), Adobe DC on right (subpixel AA active):

View attachment 793951

It becomes even more glaring when you have small text: subpixel AA (right) has more contrast and easier to read.
View attachment 793952

Here is a zoom in on the same words: Note the difference the AA makes!
View attachment 793959
View attachment 793960

Finally, others may NOT be able to tell, but on a 21 inch retina iMac running HS, I can tell the difference between font rendering in Preview (no subpixel AA) and Adobe DC (subpixel AA). The latter is slightly sharper - especially for smaller font sizes.

Thus I think this is a significant regression that alters clarity for all Mac users.

No, Preview being horrible has nothing to do with sub pixel anti-aliasing.
 
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vmz

macrumors newbie
Jun 11, 2012
27
12
Don't forget. Apple deal with Microsoft also ran out for using the patent technology for the fonts.

Apple and Microsoft signed a patent cross-licensing agreement in 1997, back when Microsoft was so dominant they were under anti-trust investigation from the US government, and Apple was a breath away from bankruptcy.

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1292505/584.pdf

Microsoft invented sub-pixel antialiasing and have been awarded multiple patents for the technology:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ClearType#Patents

The deal expired in 2017.

Microsoft open sourced their patents. Could this save OS X fonts? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18184830
 

Spectrum

macrumors 68000
Mar 23, 2005
1,808
1,115
Never quite sure
Subpixel AA is active in most of HS. I can't speak for all apps though. In your case seems to be an app issue.
Subpixel anti-aliasing is definitely not active in Preview on either a non-retina mac mini, or a 4K retina iMac. It is currently still active in the rest of the OS as far as I can tell. Can someone show me an example where subpixel AA is working in HS? I'd love to have it back!
[doublepost=1539278447][/doublepost]
No, Preview being horrible has nothing to do with sub pixel anti-aliasing.
What makes you say that?
[doublepost=1539278659][/doublepost]Here is a Print to PDF of this webpage viewed in Preview (Left) and AdobeDC (right):
upload_2018-10-11_18-23-32.png

Same PDF file. Only AdobeDC displays the subpixel AA.
 

Ritsuka

Cancelled
Sep 3, 2006
1,464
969
Subpixel anti-aliasing is definitely not active in Preview on either a non-retina mac mini, or a 4K retina iMac. It is currently still active in the rest of the OS as far as I can tell. Can someone show me an example where subpixel AA is working in HS? I'd love to have it back!
[doublepost=1539278447][/doublepost]
What makes you say that?
[doublepost=1539278659][/doublepost]Here is a Print to PDF of this webpage viewed in Preview (Left) and AdobeDC (right):
View attachment 794089
Same PDF file. Only AdobeDC displays the subpixel AA.

Normal non subpixel anti-aliased text doesn't look as bad as in Preview. Just try to write for example a document in Pages, export to pdf and open it in Preview.

It seems Preview doesn't even try to align text to the pixels.
 
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