ClearType

ClearType is a software technology developed by Microsoft to improve the readability of text on liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, such as those found in laptops, flat panel monitors, and some handheld devices. It achieves this by manipulating the individual color sub-pixels (red, green, and blue) that make up each pixel on an LCD screen to effectively increase the horizontal resolution.

Unlike traditional anti-aliasing techniques that blur the edges of characters, ClearType leverages the specific properties of LCD screens to make characters appear sharper and more defined. By selectively illuminating these sub-pixels, ClearType can represent portions of characters with greater fidelity than would be possible if only entire pixels could be illuminated. This is particularly noticeable with small fonts, where the effects of pixelation can be most pronounced.

ClearType is typically enabled at the operating system level and can be customized to suit individual preferences. Factors influencing the effectiveness of ClearType include screen resolution, pixel density, and the user's viewing angle. It is most effective on LCD screens with a standard RGB sub-pixel arrangement. ClearType is not generally effective, and can even be detrimental, on CRT monitors or other display technologies that do not have the same sub-pixel structure as LCDs.