How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

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How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

There have been complaints about Internet Explorer 7 not respecting the system setting for font smoothing. I have noticed that the 2007 Office System ignores this setting as well. With other words when you start Word 2007 you will notice that ClearType is enabled regardless whether or not you have enabled ClearType in Windows.

Using Process Monitor from Microsoft/Sysinternals I was able to determine which registry value could be set to make sure whether or not Office should look at the system setting for font smoothing and here is how to use the system setting for font smoothing:

Start -> Run -> RegEdit
Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common
Add a new DWORD value named "RespectSystemFontSmooth"
Set the value to 1
Close RegEdit

That's it. Now when you set the font smoothing to standard you will notice that it will be set to standard in Word 2007 as well.

Cross-posted from The .NET Aficionado

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Print posted @ Tuesday, November 14, 2006 2:18 PM

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# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Thanks a lot! It just works! 2/17/2007 3:45 PM | Naz

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

ok this setting is total bullshit! It does NOT respect the system setting even if enabled. For example, in Outlook, it does respect the setting in the mail view, but the email list, as well as all objects (calendar display in bar, folders list, menus) are still in CT! I hate this setting, I love how it rounds everything, but it looks blurry to my eyes, no matter how I tweak. I wish I could use it, but it kills my eyes. Why can't they just get the basic stuff right, and stop trying to make things new (Like the ribbon). 5/9/2007 1:02 AM | Michael

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

btw, found this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926705

But it is no help. God I hate this, my eyes water so much when I see CT text. 5/9/2007 1:07 AM | Michael

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

ok, last update.

I found out what was going on here. Now I don't use ClearType, but I did have the "Standard" smooth method enabled. Like I always do. But it seems, that in Office, it takes this setting, then does it's thing with it. So the text looks like normal text trying to be CT. I don't know how to describe that. My eyes are funky.

So this is what I did, to truly, make the text normal in ALL office applications including objects.

Control Panel, Display, Appearance Tab, "Effects..." button.

In the Effects window you'll find a setting "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts:"

Disable that all together, even if you select "Standard" it does funny things in Office 2007. Thank God there was a fix for this.

Hope this helps someone who just hates CT! 5/9/2007 1:25 AM | Michael

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Thanks for that last addition Micheal. 5/17/2007 5:08 PM | thanker

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Yep, thanks for that Michael! Nice, simple and effective. It's such a relief to get rid of that god-awful text effect. 6/8/2007 5:58 AM | Brendan

# Works... Thanks!

Great! I'm running Vista Prem with Office 2007 and it got rid of the cleartype text.

Note I had to make 2 other changes in order for tweak to work.

1) Advanced sys settings> Performance> Visual Effects: Uncheck "Smooth Edge Screen Fonts"

2) Windows colors & Appearance > Open Classic appearance (link) > Effects button: Uncheck the option "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts".

No more clear type in office! Thanks!!!!! 6/18/2007 2:58 PM | Marc

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Thanks, Micheal! This works! 6/26/2007 12:58 PM | Vitaliy

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Thank you so much, my eyes were really getting soar from looking at those terrible fonts. 11/12/2007 1:03 PM | Karol Jochelson

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Great Tip, I dont' like these ClearType fonts myself! 1/10/2008 4:02 PM | Mikhail Tuknov

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

I've never understood how some people can stand to look at the ClearType. I was so glad they had the option to turn it off and then was livid when Office ignored the setting. Thanks for the tip! 2/1/2008 4:22 PM | Chris

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Even easier (Michael's method didn't work, as I already have that setting disabled, but ClearType was still being used. I'm using Windows XP)

"I've turned it off on the global Office (2007) settings:
1. Open Word 2007
2. Click on the round Office icon
3. Click Word Options
4. Uncheck "Always use ClearType"
5. Click OK
6. Restart Office 2007 Products."

(from http://www.amazon.com/Turning-Off-ClearType/forum/Fx1LO0YO68MI99R/Tx1POVK3T0PNHMQ/1?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B000HCXKLC ) 7/19/2008 11:57 AM | Anonymous

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Truely fantastic, I have reached 40 working in it for 20 years and I still have 100% vision. I thought ClearType was just about to steal it away.
I want the choice not the dictation.
XP32 New Systembuild with Office Ultimate - Sorted
Many Thanks. 9/25/2008 4:35 PM | Carl

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

I was feeling everyone else's pain until I tried the Michael's suggestion of disabling "Smooth edges of screen fonts...". I had previously been to Microsoft.com in search of answers, and found that their documentation directed users to enable this option and select the "Standard" option. Don't they test their software before releasing it? Sheesh! 10/12/2008 1:09 AM | Genius! Thank you Michael!

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

This worked with Win XP Professional 10/24/2008 3:49 AM | Valeriy

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

This is great. It worked with Vista. 10/26/2008 11:29 AM | Janes

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Well, that's not really a full solution.
Normal XP fonts looked good without cleartype (or how I call it smeartype)
But Office 2007 fonts look ugly even with smeartype disabled.
The look takes me back to the old C64 days with gem.
So how would I replace all of these fonts that only seem to work correct with smeartype? So that Office 2007 falls back to good old arial and times.
Thanks
Michael 12/7/2008 11:30 AM | oppiman

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

I GOT IT!!!!
Simply delete the Segoe UI fonts from your system at all and Office 2007 uses system default fonts again.
Proof: http://www.abload.de/image.php?img=screenshot.612jmt.jpeg
12/7/2008 12:20 PM | oppiman

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Does any one know how to disable Cleartyp when using office 2007 via terminal server Application deplyment from a windows 2008 Server?

I have disabled Cleartype on my workstation, and the server ok, but if I ts to the application on the server I get the aliased fonts. If I TS to the desktop on the server the fonts are NOT aliased only when use a published application

TIA
Ken 12/11/2008 12:00 AM | Ken

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Excellent! This is the thing that has been putting me off using Word 2007. Now I can use it without the fonts looking 'wrong'. 4/9/2009 9:21 PM | Col

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Thank you! I have been google searching all night (its 1 a.m. now) trying to turn off CT with Office 2007. I installed Office 2007 tonight, for the first time (upgraded from 2003) and I couldn't read anything, it was horrible! I followed the istructions from the anon user on going to word options>uncheck always use cleartype and it WORKED! Thank you so much, now I can sleep AND not have a headache next time I have write a lengthy paper or for that matter a short one. 5/7/2009 11:56 PM | PMcOuntry

# Disable ClearType Font Smoothing In Visual Studio 2010

hello

how can disable cleartype font smoothing in Visual Studio 2010 ?

thanks alot 5/26/2009 5:56 PM | hamidreza siahpoosh

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Works great in Office 2010 Technical Preview as well. Outlook was the only part of 2010 that did not respect it, now it works (note: the registry path is 14.0 for Office 2010, not 12.0). My eyes thank you! 10/22/2009 6:50 PM | Serge

# Жесть

На громких заголовках и шумихе можно делать и не такие успехи :)
10/24/2009 1:06 PM | Георгий Меньшиков

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Hello Guys,

I have the same problem as you have, that god awful CT :-(

I am using windows 7, de-checked 'use cleartype' in windows 7 but still in different programs CT is used.
How can I turn it off? I am a fairly unexperienced user but I hope someone can help. 12/2/2009 10:42 AM | ronald

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Oh, i also tried to delete the segoe ui fonts but windows wouldn't let me. It said it was a protected font so I couldn't delete it 12/2/2009 10:45 AM | ronald

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

In Windows 7 and Office 2007 CT work! Manual operation in regedit fail. Help...! Sorry my eng. :] 1/10/2010 1:23 PM | igorp

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

OK, forget all that is written above, the solution is in IE (because it is also the cause).
Open IE, Tools, Internet Options, click on the Advanced tab. Scroll down to Multimedia. Make sure the box "Always use ClearType for HTML" is NOT checked. Click Apply and OK.
You can now reset your display settings to standard so the fonts in Excel look normal again.
Reboot your computer and your done.

Oh, and if this doesn't work....you're on your own! ;-) 2/26/2010 2:23 AM | Peter

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

I thank this post so much. I thought I wouldn't be able to use Word 2007 with my beloved Sanvito MM, but now I have it restored to its glory! (But will need to find out how to get this font on Windows 7 when the migration day comes since multiple masters aren't supported anymore). 3/3/2010 10:03 AM | That Ben Guy

# Увлекательно

Конечно же присоединяюсь к вышесказанному!
3/12/2010 4:56 AM | Денис Милюков

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

As said before, you can disable ClearType in XP/Vista/7 but the result will look "wrong". This is because Segoe UI is used all over the place and has not been hinted for the standard (non-ClearType) aliasing method.

Here's a very quick fix that will replace Segoe UI with the previous font used in Windows XP:

Open an elevated CMD.exe (right-click, run as admin). then type regedit.exe and enter. In the left tree pane, navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts

There should be at least four Segoe UI font entries that must be renamed: double-click on each entry and add an underscore (or another character, it doesn't matter) at the beginning. The result will look like:

_SEGOEUI.TTF (previously SEGOEUI.TTF)
_SEGOEUIB.TTF
_SEGOEUIZ.TTF
_SEGOEUII.TTF

This will ensure that Windows does not find the fonts at the next reboot. But wait! There's a final step: navigate in the tree just below, to "FontSubtitutes". Right-click on the right pane -> new -> String Value. Enter "Segoe UI" (without the quotes). Then double-click on this new entry and enter "MS Sans Serif".

To do this more easily, you can create the following .reg file and directly import it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"Segoe UI (TrueType)"="_segoeui.ttf"
"Segoe UI Bold (TrueType)"="_segoeuib.ttf"
"Segoe UI Italic (TrueType)"="_segoeuii.ttf"
"Segoe UI Bold Italic (TrueType)"="_segoeuiz.ttf"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
"Segoe UI"="MS Sans Serif"

I hope this helps other people. Having Microsoft force Segoe UI on everyone without a simple checkbox to replace it is really uncool. 3/13/2010 5:28 AM | Christophe

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Just to follow up on the previous question about VS2010: it uses WPF 4.0 instead of the standard winforms, and will not use the built-in Windows rendering mechanism. So the registry trick above will be useless (I'm sorry). I recommend sticking with VS2008 for the time being. 3/13/2010 5:30 AM | Christophe

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Oh, it's so useful post 3/18/2010 11:25 AM | строительство коттеджей

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

For me the registry edit worked but not before I rebooted my computer. Just thought I should mention. And yes, ClearType SUCKS ! 5/15/2010 10:07 AM | Perplexer

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Something changed and the clearType "virus" returned to my computer. After trying all the various hacks, here's the registry change that worked:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common

Change the Theme value from 1 to 0.

I hope this helps. 5/19/2010 8:33 AM | Stlopus

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Ah ha! I found another clue. The group policy pushes down changes to my computer (aren't they so thoughtful!) They had the following key reset:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common

Change RespectSystemFontSmooth back to 1 and now I'm free of ClearType.

What an absolute plague. 5/19/2010 1:30 PM | Stlopus

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Many thanks to Christophe! In addition to 'Segoe UI', I also had to substitute the 'Consolas' font. (I am using win xp) 8/4/2010 3:21 AM | gv

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Thank You!!!
I kept thinking my vision was blurry. Cleartype is a croc! 9/22/2010 7:38 PM | Thankful

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

Thanks! Very usefull!! 4/15/2011 5:16 AM | Francesco

# re: How to: disable ClearType for 2007 Office System

w00t !! Thx. 9/12/2011 1:50 PM | Gabriel

Gabriel Lozano-Morán