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Old 04-01-2008, 06:55 AM   #1
Slackovado
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OpenOffice fonts different from the rest of the system


I can't get OpenOffice fonts, both UI and document fonts to render the same as for the rest of the system.
I have the recompiled freetype with bci and subpixel and am using the Microsoft webfonts, like Verdana, Tahoma etc.
Fonts look good and sharp in both KDE and Gtk apps.

But OpenOffice, since version 2.1, I think is rendering the fonts like they are smadged, out of focus, badly antialiased.
I've lived with it for quite a while but I've had enough and want this fixed.
Anybody have any ideas?

P.S. Running stock Slack 12 (other than the bci and xft (no, I don't recognize no stinking patents)),and been upgrading OO.org from their website and converting with rpm2tgz.
 
Old 04-01-2008, 08:17 AM   #2
allend
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I am running OpenOffice 2.3 with Microsoft fonts and I am not experiencing any problems.
I built my OpenOffice installation using the build script from SlackBuilds.org. I strongly recommend this method as the script builds OpenOffice to suit the Slack environment.
 
Old 04-01-2008, 12:33 PM   #3
Carpo
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i have used the slackbuild before and can say that the fonts do look bad - and that's using the MS fonts (from xp and vista boxes ) is there a certain way you have to add them to the system - i know kde font manager is one, way i norm do it is copy all ttf fonts to usr/share/fonts/TTF and then run mkfontsdir mkfontscale and fc-cache - or is that wrong ?
 
Old 04-01-2008, 04:36 PM   #4
tronayne
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carpo View Post
...is there a certain way you have to add them to the system - i know kde font manager is one, way i norm do it is copy all ttf fonts to usr/share/fonts/TTF and then run mkfontsdir mkfontscale and fc-cache - or is that wrong ?
That's pretty much what you do; after you restart X you'll see those fonts in OpenOffice.org's drop-down lists (and they'll be available in KDE, too). The one thing you may have to do see if there is an entry in /etc/X11/xorg.conf (the Files section) like this:
Code:
Section "Files"
        RgbPath      "/usr/share/X11/rgb"
        ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Adobe"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/OTF"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/myfonts"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
EndSection
 
Old 04-01-2008, 05:33 PM   #5
tobyl
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This tip has been around for ages, but it still is worthwhile for me (ooo2.2) - it improves the gui.

Start Ooffice, go to menu "Tools/Options/Fonts", check "Apply replacement table" and enter manually in the "Font" tab : "Andale Sans UI" (no quotes) You have to enter manually as it does not appear in the dropdown. On the "Replace with" select a TT font. Click on the green tick and check the "Always" box, then OK.

tobyl
 
Old 04-01-2008, 06:05 PM   #6
tobyl
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Also (at your own risk) there is a file in <Ooo install dir>/openoffice.org2.2/program/greprefs/all.js (your path may vary)

The all.js file contains a section as follows:

// TrueType
pref("font.FreeType2.enable", false);
pref("font.freetype2.shared-library", "libfreetype.so.6");
// if libfreetype was built without hinting compiled in
// it is best to leave hinting off
pref("font.FreeType2.autohinted", false);
pref("font.FreeType2.unhinted", true);
// below a certian pixel size anti-aliased fonts produce poor results
pref("font.antialias.min", 10);
pref("font.embedded_bitmaps.max", 1000000);
pref("font.scale.tt_bitmap.dark_text.min", 64);
pref("font.scale.tt_bitmap.dark_text.gain", "0.8");
// sample prefs for TrueType font dirs
//pref("font.directory.truetype.1", "/u/sam/tt_font1");
//pref("font.directory.truetype.2", "/u/sam/tt_font2");
//pref("font.directory.truetype.3", "/u/sam/tt_font3");
pref("font.FreeType2.printing", true);

I thought I would experiment by changing "false" to "true" in this section, (and restarting) So far results seem favourable. Of course there is some guesswork going on here, but you may want to have a go.

back up your original file first!

tobyl
 
Old 04-06-2008, 03:13 AM   #7
Carpo
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have tried everything in this thread and still the fonts look bad - but it seems its only on the menu bars, i did a test using ubuntu and its as clear as a bell, and yes i have added MS fonts (copied then from my windows box) and recompiled freetype, strange

edit: if you go to Tools -> Options -> View , and untick Screen font antialiasing - this seems to make the fonts a bit more bearable

Last edited by Carpo; 04-06-2008 at 04:30 AM.
 
Old 04-06-2008, 05:18 AM   #8
Eternal_Newbie
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OpenOffice doesn't use the system font tools under X11/GTK+ (although it does under Windows and OS X). It uses its own built in system for font rendering and display. This is the reason it can't print or display most OpenType fonts. While this may have made sense 12 years ago when font rendering support under Linux could be dodgy, it has been a stupid idea for years. This should have been fixed in OO.org 2 but is unlikely to be fixed properly in 3, as they still apparently intend to use thier built in font rendering.

EDIT In other words, if your system font is an OpenType font with Postscript style hinting, OpenOffice can't use it.

Last edited by Eternal_Newbie; 04-06-2008 at 05:24 AM.
 
Old 04-06-2008, 10:43 AM   #9
Carpo
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dont seem to have this issue on ubuntu :/
 
Old 04-06-2008, 06:34 PM   #10
Slackovado
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Quote:
Originally Posted by allend View Post
I am running OpenOffice 2.3 with Microsoft fonts and I am not experiencing any problems.
I built my OpenOffice installation using the build script from SlackBuilds.org. I strongly recommend this method as the script builds OpenOffice to suit the Slack environment.
Is you freetype recompiled with the bytecode enabled and subpixel rendering enabled?
OO uses the MS fonts but renders them badly.
 
Old 04-07-2008, 03:55 AM   #11
Slackovado
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Ok, so I tested the OO package from LinuxPackages.
The result is the same on my main computer.
But on my laptop where I don't have a recompiled freetype, the fonts are normal.
So the problem is with OO not being compatible with freetype recompiled with bytecode and subpixel rendering.

I'm giving up on OO then, with the context sensitive toolbars, this is the last straw.
I'll have to use Koffice untill something is done with OO.

At this point the theory that Sun is using OO to keep users away from Linux is looking more and more like it might be true.
 
Old 04-07-2008, 11:04 PM   #12
T3slider
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Although the font issue doesn't particularly bother me too much, I'd use the evil MS Office over OpenOffice any day (and I do, through WINE and in VirtualBox). I have OOo up to date and check on its progress once in a while, but it's just not as usable as MS Office yet (exception: complex numbering schemes with nested a) b) etc. stuff -- it is CRAP in MS Word).
 
  


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