Anti-aliased text in Terminal app not right for white text?

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Level 1

5 points

Anti-aliased text in Terminal app not right for white text?

I'm using Monaco, 12pt for my Terminal font on my imac running OS 10.4. I've got anti-aliasing on, but I don't think it's working right.

If you set up black text on a white background in one window, and then open another terminal window and set that to white text on a black background and compare closely between the two they differ more than seems right. (look at the details -- the o's, the n's, the t's.) To me, with white text the characters all seem bold rather than anti-aliased. I'm using 12pt but it seems even more obvious if you crank it up to 13 or 14 pts.

I generally use light text on a dark background and this looked fine with the Terminal app on my older 10.3 system (meaning the letters seemed a single pixel wide with smoothed edges, not bold.)

It looks like the dark text is blending correctly with the lighter backgound, but light text is just full on with no blend (instead of darkening the edges).

thanks for any confirmations or suggestions here.

intel iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Sep 19, 2006 2:44 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 19, 2006 4:56 PM in response to nscollins

Try different smoothing options in the "Appearance" System Preference.

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Answer 2

nscollins Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 19, 2006 5:16 PM in response to Malcolm Rayfield

The smoothing options don't seem to affect the white text at all. I stopped and restarted my Terminal application between various settings. Did you try looking at white text on a black background? Do the smoothing options change anything for you?

iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

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Answer 3

Sep 19, 2006 5:50 PM in response to nscollins

The System anti-aliasing doesn't seem to affect Terminal, but there is an Anti-aliasing check box in the "Display" pane of Terminal Inspector ("Show Info" in Terminal's View menu) that works. It applies separately to each Terminal window, so you can use it for just white, or just black, text.

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Answer 4

Sep 19, 2006 7:22 PM in response to nscollins

I don't know the answer, but I think my Terminal is set up the way you want.
Take a look:

http://Gnarlodious.com/Apple/TerminalFont.png

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Answer 5

nscollins Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 20, 2006 8:15 AM in response to Malcolm Rayfield

i already do have anti-aliasing turned on. black text on a white background is anti-aliased as expected. i'm trying to use white on black and the difference, while subtle, is there. since i sit in front of a terminal and program all day, i want a font and display combination that is easier on my eyes than what i'm seeing now. i'll go back to black text on light background for now, but in the long run i prefer the opposite style.

iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

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Answer 6

nscollins Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 20, 2006 8:23 AM in response to Gnarlodious

thanks for your post -- that is exactly what i see. notice the blocky edges of the letters - they aren't smooth, they are all exactly 2 pixels wide. now change your colors to black text on a white background and capture that and look closely. the black text looks "thinner" - and much easier to read over an 8 hour day.

iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

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