Font rendering in FVWM

Configuration General Questions
1

I am seeing a small difference between the font rendering in FVWM and GTK applications.
The fonts displayed in my other applications are a little bit darker and softer than in my FVWM menu. If I take a screenshot and zoom in in gimp, I can see a difference in pixel color at the borders of the characters.

A screenshot of the fonts: img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fontsql7.png

I use this to set the font: MenuStyle * Font "xft:Liberation Sans:size=10"

Is there something I can do to get the same font rendering in FVWM as in GTK applications. The difference in rendering is small, but still annoying. I have patched the XFT and cairo libs with LCD patches (see aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=16459). Could this be related to this patches?

2

That to do with how GNOME apps can use sub-pixel rendering. FVWM doesn’t technically render them any differently.

– Thomas Adam

3

Is it possible to have sub-pixel rendering with FVWM?

4

No.

– Thomas Adam

5

After playing a bit with various settings, I don’t think the problem is related to how GNOME apps can use sub-pixel rendering. I have exactly the same font settings in FVWM and urxvt, but I still see a different rendering and spacing: img167.imageshack.us/my.php?image=spacingja6.png

I use these settings in .Xdefaults:

xft.dpi: 96 Xft.hinting: true Xft.hintstyle: hintslight Xft.antialias: true Xft.rgba: rgb

Thus, the font rendering I would like to have in FVWM is not GTK or GNOME specific.
Does FVWM do something special with the xft font settings it gets? Do you know where I can find more specific information about how FVWM renders fonts?

6

Yes, see the FVWM source.

More seriously though, beyond reading that, what is it you want to know? The XFT section in ‘man fvwm’ says enough.

Oh, and your initial question was misleading, by the way. But I am really thrilled you found the answer.

– Thomas Adam

7

Probably I was not clear enough with my explanation: I had already found the XFT section in the FVWM manual. I have tried several options to set the fonts. But for some reason, FVWM does not use my font settings in the same way as the other apps on my computer.

I still see different rendering between FVWM and my other applications.

8

Because GTK uses Pango? ATK? More than likely something to do with this.

But you’re not going to get the same effects as those since they’re tied into GTK. When I said you wouldn’t get the same effect, I meant: you won’t get the same effect, not “maybe if you keep asking.” :stuck_out_tongue:

Move along now, nothing else to learn here.

– Thomas Adam

9

As far as I know, urxvt does not use GTK or Pango and has the same font rendering as GTK apps. The difference in rendering is not GTK related.

Anyway, thanks for your time and help.