snippets from nattster's blog

fonts.conf

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>

<!--
     .fonts.conf
     release 6.3.23
     ================================
     LCD optimized 96 dpi
     "Sharp'N'Clear" font settings
     with emphasis on 'msttcorefonts'

     tested on Ubuntu GNU/Linux 5.10
     ================================
     by Obi Bok
     Gmail: obibok
     http://linuxtuneup.blogspot.com
     ================================
     Why was this conceived?

     - some font families look better hinted by Byte Code Interpreter (BCI)
       while other fonts look better hinted by Auto-Hinter
     - hinting type affects italic and bold fonts differently
     - antialiasing needs to be adjusted according to font families and sizes
     
     Essentially, there is no one single rule that works for all fonts.

     NOTE:
     - Verdana @ 8pt doesn't render '2' and '6' right
     - Arial shows 'Z' distorted in Firefox 1.5
-->

<!--
     Make font sizes match the dpi set in Xorg.

     Increase or decrease this value if fonts are too small or too large
     for your screen resolution.

     FIXME: this only affects QT-based apps?
-->
<match target="pattern">
 <edit name="dpi" mode="assign">
  <double>96</double>
 </edit>
</match>

<!--
     Enable anti-aliasing.

     This only works for outline and scalable fonts.
     Bitmap and PostScript fonts do not get anti-aliased.

     FIXME: is this correct?
-->
<match target="font">
 <edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
  <bool>true</bool>
 </edit>
</match>

<!--
     Set sub-pixel order if not detected.

     "X knows the sub pixel order already, and if this is enabled as well,
     Freetype produces some very strange results. However, if you do still
     have problems, consider (...) 'rgb' (the standard for LCD monitors),
     'bgr' (unusual), 'vrgb' (vertical rgb, if you have a monitor that
     has been rotated by 90 degrees[1]), 'vgbr' (as vrgb, but very rare)."
     <http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/answers/Hardware/\
     LCD_TFT_Monitor_Configuration_in_X_Org>

     Find out your LCD's sub-pixel order:
     <http://grc.com/image/cleartype2c.gif>
-->
<match target="font">
 <test qual="all" name="rgba" compare="eq">
  <const>unknown</const>
 </test>
 <edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
  <const>rgb</const>
 </edit>
</match>

<!--
     Sub-pixel hinting via BCI enabled by default if compiled in.

     "Whole-pixel anti-aliasing does not represent a useful solution for
     improving small point-size type. (...) By 'borrowing' sub-pixels from
     adjacent whole pixels, we can fine-tune the placement and width of typeface
     features with three times more horizontal accuracy then ever before!"
     <http://grc.com/ctwhat.htm>
-->

<!--
     Disable anti-aliasing for select fonts based on size and style.

     | font                  | WinXP | Linux |
     =========================================
     Andale Mono IPA            14      13
     Arial                      12      13
     Arial Black                12      -
     Arial Narrow               14      13
     Berling Antiqua            12      13
     Book Antiqua               12      13
     Bookdings                  0       ?
     Bookman Old Style          22      13
     Century Gothic             16      16
     Comic Sans MS              11      9/11
     Courier New                26      22
     Franklin Gothic Medium     12      10/12
     Frutiger Linotype          12      10/12
     Garamond                   18      13/19
     Georgia                    12      12/13
     Impact                     16      0
     Kartika                    12      16
     Lucida Console             12      13
     Lucida Sans Typewriter     12      12
     Lucida Sans Unicode        12      10/13
     Marlett                    ?       ?
     Microsoft Sans Serif       12      12/13
     Palatino Linotype          12      13
     SylfaenARM                 -       13
     Symbol                     12      ?
     Tahoma                     12      12/13
     Times New Roman            12      13
     Trebuchet MS               12      12
     Verdana                    12      12
     Vrinda                     12      17
     Webdings                   20      ?
     Wingdings                  20      ?
     =========================================

     "The relationship of pixels to points depends on the number of pixels
     per inch, which is typically some 'standard' value corresponding to
     default screen fonts. For example, MS Windows has two standard sets of
     screen fonts initially designed for IBM display systems: 'small' (VGA)
     and 'large' (8514/A). 'Small' fonts are 96 pixels per inch, 'large' are
     120. Macintosh systems render type at a nominal 72 pixels per inch, i.e.
     one pixel = one point. Some display systems using scalable screen fonts
     allow fine tuning of pixels per inch to suit user preferences."
     <http://www.hpaa.com/css1/pxnpts.asp>

     X pt * 96 dpi / 72 dpi = Y px
-->

<!--
     font group #3: normal roman anti-aliased above 12pt/16px
     
     Must use at least 16.1px instead of 16px for this to work in Firefox
-->
<match target="font">
 <test qual="any" name="family" compare="eq">
 <!-- Tahoma has no italic and uses artificial oblique -->
  <string>Tahoma</string>
</test>
 <test qual="any" name="pixelsize" compare="less_eq">
  <double>16.1</double>
 </test>
 <test qual="any" name="weight" compare="less_eq">
  <const>medium</const>
 </test>
 <test qual="any" name="slant" compare="eq">
  <const>roman</const>
 </test>
 <edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
  <bool>false</bool>
 </edit>
</match>

<!--
     font group #9: bold roman anti-aliased above 10pt/13.4px
-->
<match target="font">
 <test qual="any" name="family" compare="eq">
  <string>Tahoma</string>
 </test>
 <test qual="any" name="pixelsize" compare="less_eq">
  <double>13.4</double>
 </test>
 <test qual="any" name="weight" compare="more">
  <const>medium</const>
 </test>
 <test qual="any" name="slant" compare="eq">
  <const>roman</const>
 </test>
 <edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
  <bool>false</bool>
 </edit>
</match>
<!--
     Enable FreeType Auto-Hinter for select fonts.

     Auto-Hinter is disabled by default if Bytecode Interpreter was compiled in.
     Some Linux "native" fonts look better hinted by Auto-Hinter,
     usually in sizes 11pt-13pt; others look better hinted by BCI.
-->

<!--
     Set Auto-Hinter to full hinting style.

     'slight' and 'medium' hinting often produce pixel discoloration.
-->
<match target="font">
 <edit name="hintstyle" mode="assign">
  <const>hintfull</const>
 </edit>
</match>

<!--
     Set minimum allowed size to avoid illegible fonts.
-->
<!-- 7pt in QT-based apps -->
<match target="pattern">
 <test qual="any" name="size" compare="less">
  <double>7</double>
 </test>
 <edit name="size" mode="assign">
  <double>7</double>
 </edit>
</match>

<!-- 9.4px (7pt) in GTK-based apps -->
<match target="pattern">
 <test qual="any" name="pixelsize" compare="less">
  <double>9.4</double>
 </test>
 <edit name="pixelsize" mode="assign">
  <double>9.4</double>
 </edit>
</match>

<!--
     TODO: Create rules limiting minimum sizes for these *bold* fonts:

     Andale Mono | Andale Mono IPA
     Arial
     Arial Narrow
     Berling Antiqua
     Book Antiqua
     Bookman Old Style
     Century Gothic
     Comic Sans MS
     Courier New
     Franklin Gothic Medium
     Frutiger Linotype
     Garamond
     Georgia
     Kartika
     Lucida Console
     Lucida Sans Typewriter
     Lucida Sans Unicode
     Microsoft Sans Serif
     Palatino | Palatino Linotype
     SylfaenARM
     Tahoma
     Times New Roman
     Trebuchet MS
     Verdana
     Vrinda
-->
<!--
     Anti-alias fonts with "fake" styles.

     FIXME: QT only? GTK? Firefox?
-->
<!-- another approach - no errors but freezes Firefox 1.5 -->
<match target="font">
 <test qual="any" name="matrix" compare="eq">
  <name>matrix</name>
 </test>
 <edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
  <bool>true</bool>
 </edit>
</match>

<!--
     Substitute unavailable and/or unwanted fonts.

     Aliases will not work if the actual fonts are installed.
     Replacing font family works in Firefox (FIXME: and other GTK-based apps?)
     QT-based apps also need font foundry replaced.
     Grouping fonts for substitution doesn't work in Firefox, so we need each
     font family replaced individually.
-->

</fontconfig>