Improve font rendering to be on par with Firefox or at least original Edge

[Deleted]

The thing that always made me swithc back to Firefox when trying out Chromium based web browsers was font rendering. You can even see that in the UI of Chromium-Edge, where the Segoe UI font is much thinner than in the rest of the Windows UI.

Some websites, such as reddit.com display text that is not only more blurry than in Firefox (and sometimes original Edge), but also seems to lack contrast - the letters are somewhat brighter, much more grey instead of black like in Firefox.

Here are screenshots that will best show what I mean:

First one is reddit on Firefox:

And this one is on all Chromium based browsers, including Edge:

Notice how the letters on the second screenshot are much harder to read...

[#2]

I happened to run across this...I am using the font rendering enhancer extension on my released version of Edge w/Chrome base.  I find it does make the difference and gives it the quality that firefox has (darker and sharper)... The chrome developers seem to have no interest in doing anything about it...but it would be great if you could make the modification in Edge w/Chrome so it would not be necessary to use the extension and would actually give you a big advantage over the standard chrome....

I found this brief post which seems to explain what the extension does...sounds like it could be a simple fix and boy would Edge users really appreciate it (like myself)....see link:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/683880/font-rendering-enhancer-a-chrome-extension-which-en...

I read (and participated) in this community thread about this, which i know you followed....Thanks....Craig

[#3]

Thanks, @craig10x, I passed that on to the team.

Fawkes (they/them)
Project & Community Manager - Microsoft Edge

[#4]

Thin font rendering, and lower-contrast font color are the main reasons I won't use Chromium-based browsers. I have trouble seeing low contrast things, and I despise software and websites that do it on purpose.

I currently use Firefox on Windows 10.

[#5]

@Dean72 Do you run Windows? If so, MS Edge works in high-contrast mode. For more details, see this article.

Here's some more info from our What's New page, "both the web browser and web content now fully support the high contrast themes available in Windows. This feature brings significantly improved legibility and readability of textual content. Our implementation of high contrast in the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge matches the support we offer in legacy Microsoft Edge, and guarantees text readability against any background by adding a text backplate filled with the system background color."

Hopefully that helps!

Fawkes (they/them)
Project & Community Manager - Microsoft Edge

[#6]

Thanks @Deleted, but I don't need high-contrast, my eyesight isn't that bad. I edited my post above to show that the reason I use Firefox and not any Chromium browser, is because I like the font-rendering on Firefox. Chromium browsers on Windows have a thin/somewhat faint/jagged font rendering, and the color is fainter/less-contrast than Firefox.

[#7]

Glad to see MS has finally agreed to improve the font rendering of the new Edge. However, to be honest, I personally think the development is kind of slower than expected. At least at this moment, the new Edge is behind Google's Chrome, the development should be done in a more efficient and aggressive way. There are not many reasons and not much time for people to drop Chrome and embrace Edge again. So hurry up!

[#8]

@Deleted Do you know anything about changes in this subject? When can we expect them? 

[#9]

@Mitchris Thanks for checking in with us. We haven't received any public announcements from the team about this since I last posted, but you all will be some of the first to know if/when we have updates!

Fawkes (they/them)
Project & Community Manager - Microsoft Edge

[#10]

@pozxcI've been a Firefox user for many years, but I agree with you completely. And, to me, looking at the pictures you posted, the best is Old Edge, then Firefox, then Chromium is utterly last.

[#11]

@Deleted 

The discussion of blurry fonts in Chromium based Edge has apparently been going on for over 6 months.  WHEN will MS do something about it?

I had been avoiding the new Edge as long as possible -then the Windows update on 21 June installed it without asking.  Now I'm struggling to read webpages (and the mic is muted each and every day when I join a TEAMS meeting, until I run the device manager sounds Troubleshooter.  I cannot even fix it directly from device manager but have to let Troubleshooter reactivate the mic).   I have a week and a half of standards conference meetings and the performance of the MS products is abysmal right now.

Given that the new Edge was forced upon users, I have not seen such a poor roll out from MS since Windows ME.   Please poke someone to FIX this.  I don't want to switch browsers but this is untenable.

[#12]

@msibille  @Deleted 

I agree completely, and the name of this discussion thread says it all...it should be on par with Firefox or at least the original Edge.  This greatly impacts most people I know (I provide computer support to them), because they are older and don't see that well. I'm 47 and have a hard time seeing thin fonts, or low-contrast faint-colored text, BUT...I've had difficulty reading in Chrome for many years, not just now that I'm older.

The simple key to this is: if Firefox can have sharp, dark-colored text in its menus/toolbars, etc., then the new Edge can too.

[#13]

It's hard to believe that MS developers did nothing about improving the font rendering. I am speechless!

[#14]

@Deleted 

As you can see...many are disappointed that nothing has been done about improving the web page rendering up to Firefox level... The Chrome developers are aware of the problem but have never done anything about it...  Actually, if the Edge/Chrome developers would do it..don't you realize it would give Edge a BIG PLUS over using regular Chrome...and attract more users to using Edge... Isn't that enough incentive to work on this quickly?

I shouldn't have to use a chrome extension (Font Rendering Enhancer) to improve Web Page Rendering and get darker and sharper fonts...

Meanwhile  went back to using Firefox where rendering is beautiful and i don't need to add anything to get it...I'd love to return to Edge...but not as it is now....

Could you please see to it that it is taken of and then notify us here as soon as it has been implemented?

Thanks...Craig

[#15]

@craig10x 

I'm likewise sad to see slow progress here, some 15 months later. The latest Top Feedback Summary includes "some web page fonts are blurry" under review for ~10 weeks, but without any discussion linked, unfortunately. MissyQ's explanation (from the original May 5th addition:(

Next, we’ve seen some varying feedback specifically around fonts and how they render. Newly added to Under Review, Some web page fonts are blurry is now something we’re tracking. This is an item that holds a few different situations under its umbrella, so expect us to provide updates on this that may only address one aspect at a time.

---

She does note "rendering", which seems like a feature request and not a bug (plenty of bug reports on simply blurry fonts, i.e., pixelated), but she did not reply to a follow-up posted on May 6th to clarify.

Is thicker font rendering, a la Edge Legacy, Firefox, IE, etc. as we wrote in this thread, actually under official review and is being tracked? And, then, where should we be voicing support, if not this thread?

[#16]

This really needs to be fixed already, I don't like the idea of having to use an extension just to make the fonts readable but I will. Microsoft needs to fix this already.

[#17]

@Deleted 

Is this even on the radar of MS?

After this much time, it would seem MS would either fix it in an update, or provide the courtesy of detailed instructions for a work around using someone else's product.

I am sure many others like me want to know if there is something forth-coming, or if we should switch browsers.

[#18]

I'd like to know as well; this is getting to be a little annoying that we've not heard anything from Microsoft regarding this issue.

[#19]

@trparky 

I suspect they aren't going to do anything about it....which is probably why fawkes doesn't return here anymore to give us an update...

Appears like the MS Edge/Chrome team has no plans to do anything with it (just like the Chrome developers)...So, ones choice is either to use Google Chrome or Edge/Chrome with the Font Rendering Enhancer extension...or switch over to Firefox...which has GREAT web page rendering and requires no add ons....

[#20]

I'm still following along here, and I'm still not going to consider using it or recommending it until this is fixed.

[#21]

@craig10x I'm not going to use Firefox. If you thought that Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge were RAM pigs, Firefox makes them look positively neat and tidy. I've seen Firefox chow down on darn near eight gigabytes of RAM and figuratively smile about it.

As for Microsoft not fixing the font rendering issue, that's why I'm here. I'm going to pester them until they fix this crap.