Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
In terminal type:

defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool FALSE
Mojave on a non-retina mid-2012 MBP shows 172pt x 500% isn't perfect, but the sky hasn't fallen yet.
Word365 Calibri 172pt x 500%.jpeg


EDIT: I was remiss in failing to include a cautionary note:
 
Last edited:
In terminal type:

defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool FALSE
[doublepost=1540648939][/doublepost]

A few questions:

Does this restore RGB sub-pixel AA or what exactly is it doing?

Does this work system-wide or only in certain parts of macOS? in all apps or only Apple apps?

Even if this works for me, how is the average consumer (e.g. my dad and mother-in-law) going to fix this issue? Surely you don't expect them to try to handle a unix command line when they struggle with the GUI?

While this may solve the problem for some, the core issue remains: Apple still sells non-retina hardware yet their latest OS does not adequately support that hardware, i.e. fonts are now much more difficult to read due to lack of font smoothing.

The option for font-smoothing should be restored and automatically enabled for all non-retina hardware. Then make it the last version to do so along with it being the last version to support 32-bit apps.

Also, I am still weighing whether or not to install Mojave and apply this command because while this "works" for now, there is no way to know whether Apple will disable it in a future update. All MR members who advise this work-around would be wise to keep this in mind and advise others of the risk.

Mark my words: Apple is transitioning to ARM--font smoothing is unnecessary for all current iOS devices and iOS lacks support for 32 bit apps. The convergence will be made more apparent at the next WWDC.
 
I'm using this command:
Code:
defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool FALSE
Its definitely better, but still isnt perfect.
I also must say, that dark mode is affecting overal font look.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tromboneaholic
A few questions:

Does this restore RGB sub-pixel AA or what exactly is it doing?

Does this work system-wide or only in certain parts of macOS? in all apps or only Apple apps?

Even if this works for me, how is the average consumer (e.g. my dad and mother-in-law) going to fix this issue? Surely you don't expect them to try to handle a unix command line when they struggle with the GUI?

While this may solve the problem for some, the core issue remains: Apple still sells non-retina hardware yet their latest OS does not adequately support that hardware, i.e. fonts are now much more difficult to read due to lack of font smoothing.

The option for font-smoothing should be restored and automatically enabled for all non-retina hardware. Then make it the last version to do so along with it being the last version to support 32-bit apps.

Also, I am still weighing whether or not to install Mojave and apply this command because while this "works" for now, there is no way to know whether Apple will disable it in a future update. All MR members who advise this work-around would be wise to keep this in mind and advise others of the risk.

Mark my words: Apple is transitioning to ARM--font smoothing is unnecessary for all current iOS devices and iOS lacks support for 32 bit apps. The convergence will be made more apparent at the next WWDC.

I'm using this command:
Code:
defaults write -g CGFontRenderingFontSmoothingDisabled -bool FALSE
Its definitely better, but still isnt perfect.
I also must say, that dark mode is affecting overal font look.

Can you answer the questions I previously posted and quoted here about what this command actually does?
 
SBXdEZ0.png


the font smoothing option is back (for my 2010) in 10.14.1
EDIT: Ticking that on and off seems to just make the text bolder
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Val-kyrie
I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro Retina running two Dell 21 inch external monitors - they're not bad, not the best - about £200 each so not retina but not garbage. When I installed Mojave I was no longer able to work - the text was making my eyes screwy to the point that it seemed like the banks of text were moving. I found a lot of 'niche' apps - as well as Adobe etc, and Apple's too, including Xcode - were so hard to decipher, that I ended up with a headache as well as a strange feeling of the screen 'moving' in front of me.

So I decided to revert back. No biggie I thought. But then the previous versions of OSX were no longer available on my itunes account, as they always used to be. My only solution was to go to a local independent repair shop and get a version of High Sierra put on a thumbdrive and go from there.

I didn't even go nuts about it - because I've now come to expect this kind of thing from Apple.

What does disturb me, as it always has, is the apologists on here arguing that 'it's not so bad'. I was literally not even able to see straight when I was looking at my monitors anymore!@ :))

If you rely on using an external monitor, please make sure you have a backup on a thumb drive because you may find yourself unable to work as I did.

So I found a solution. And up until this post to vent a bit of steam, just got on with it - because now, quite frankly, I expect to be 'screwed' by Apple at every turn - whereas for years and years I used to be 'delighted'.

And before anyone says that the various terminal commands, workarounds etc restore things as they were - in my experience, on my external monitors - they most certainly did not. My monitors, whatever settings I applied with these workarounds, looked like they had been taken in a time machine back twenty years.

And before the apologists say that this is the price of progress - I agree in a sense - that things may need to be adjusted in an OS to optimise etc - however there was a. no warning from Apple that this may happen, b. they made it incredibly difficult to go back to the previous OS in a way that had never happened before (all previous installations were gone from my account - regardless of the settings - workarounds such as 'hidden' etc, and c, frankly - if they're going to pull a move like this - at least they should provide their own external monitor I can buy instead of third party rubbish like the LG) etc etc - as a longtime enthusiast I can't see any benefits for the user from this change.
 
Last edited:
Sometimes, all that you need is Digital Color Meter, to zoom into fonts to see how are they rendered:
This looks like full RGB subpixel antialiasing to me. View attachment 800196

With font antialiasing engine turned on.
[doublepost=1541066648][/doublepost]With font rendering tuned OFF.

View attachment 800197

"... looks like full RGB subpixel antialiasing to me." It certainly does. Can anyone else confirm?

This font rendering issue is the only reason I haven't yet updated my 2012 MBP and 2012 Minis from HS to Mojave.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Val-kyrie
The subpixel font rendering engine that used to produce beautiful fonts on macOS is gone! There are a few "fixes" floating around here, they don't bring the old engine back and the results are not acceptable in my opinion. Let me save you the 2 day restore process I am in the middle of downgrading to High Sierra.
This is complete BS....sorry.
As someone who doesn’t have retina displays, it looks absolutely fine (same as, maybe better than HS).
 
Not sure if this is related or not, but I'm just noticing on my 2012 MacBook Air that some fonts are gray now. Anything I type in the address bar in Safari and what I type in Messages. Websites look fine and after messages are sent they appear like they always have.
 
This is complete BS....sorry.
As someone who doesn’t have retina displays, it looks absolutely fine (same as, maybe better than HS).

It looks *mostly* fine, but it doesn’t look the same as before, with or without “fixes”.
 
is this why when swiping screens you get that bit of fuzziness before images quickly return to normal ?
 
ok, so now that there is a new Retina MacBook Air, there really is no excuse for anyone to not buy a HiDPI Mac.












(couldn’t help myself)
 
  • Like
Reactions: olad
mac mini without HiDPI external monitors!

hoping to get at least 1 4k eventually...
 
ok, so now that there is a new Retina MacBook Air, there really is no excuse for anyone to not buy a HiDPI Mac.
(couldn’t help myself)
Personally I have ‘zero’ need for a laptop....:p
Anything mobile iPad Pro, anything proper MacPro.
 
Better than I. I turned it off after 1 hour.
I was hoping it would be interesting, and while it might have potential, I feel it's not polished enough yet.

I wanted to give it a chance to make sure it wasn't just me resisting change, but there were too many instances where I was noticing issues with the UI instead of focusing on my content.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.