I decided to post my question to this NG because I have no idea where to
ask.
I now have a new wide screen Samsung LCD monitor.
It is indeed great monitor. One subtle problem is the color of fonts.
Bolded fonts appear slightly purplish but non-bold fonts, all look dark (or
black).
I wonder why. Is that a kind of inherent problem with LCD monitor or should
I change a setting?
Please advise me. Raymond
Roman, it's normal. Especially if "clear type" is enabled. Smoothing font
edges is done by "blurring" the edges with color. That blurred colors are
supposed to trick the eye into seeing a smooth edge. Some monitors show
more of the smoothing colors than others. More info about how clear type
works here:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearTypeInfo.mspx
While you're there, you may want to try the clear type tuner. Adjusting the
intensity of clear type can go a long way in minimizing the color banding.
Note that there are two versions of the color tuner.
The online tuner:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/tuner/Step1.aspx
And one, the Clear Type Tuner power toy, that you can install on your
system. After this is installed, look for a new icon in Control Panel.
Double click to launch and use the tuner:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Other suggestions:
Some replies have mentioned adjusting brightness or contrast. That might
help.
Many LCD monitors use a 60 refresh rate but newer ones may offer additional
options. Check your manual and if it shows other recommended refresh rates
can be used, give them a try.
Updated INF files for monitors and updated display drivers are another
angle to try. They may fine tune just enough that the noticeable color will
blend better with the rest of the screen font.
Disabling clear type is another option but be prepared for fonts to look
"washed out" if you go this route.
After tweaking and enabling clear type once again (it really is a plus on
LCD monitors and am guessing you will turn it back on), you may end up
where you started as this situation may simply be a characteristic of your
monitor model.
