Text fuzz

[mafocari]

I notice sometimes that the text doesn't look right, like in Avast windows:


Other apps seem to look OK, like Slack:



So is this just an app thing? I've already looked in Mac settings to see if I can make it better, but they seem to be as good as I can make them:



I use "Default for display" anyway, which is the top auto-selected one when I click "Scaled":



Sorry if the inline images I pasted don't show... I'll attach them separately or add an imgur link if I need to.

 

[MacInWin]

Start by getting rid of Avast. You don't need it, it does nothing for you, and it causes severe performance problems on the Mac.

As for the display, just use "Default for display" and you'll get the crispest results.

Tell us what Mac and what version of macOS you are running and we can give more explicit advice.

 

[IWT]

+1 and more, re completely uninstalling Avast. Best and most reliable way is to use its own uninstaller.

Just moving the app to Trash will leave behind lots of remnants deep within the Mac which could be troublesome.

Ian

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Let me be a little more animated about you uninstalling Avast, and let me give you some more important reasons why you should do so...

Avast collects and then re-sells your personal information:

Leaked Documents Expose the Secretive Market for Your Web Browsing Data

An Avast antivirus subsidiary sells 'Every search. Every click. Every buy. On every site.' Its clients have included Home Depot, Google, Microsoft, Pepsi, and McKinsey.

www.vice.com

Avast has been known to install adware:

The Safe Mac » Avast installs adware!

Everything you need to know to protect your Mac

www.thesafemac.com

and do some other borderline malware-type things:

The Safe Mac » Avast’s man in the middle

Everything you need to know to protect your Mac

www.thesafemac.com

 

[mafocari]

I wish I could get rid of Avast but I don't make that decision.

OK, well, anyway, considering there's apparently no solution to fixing the blurry text, I'll just assume there's no solution to fixing the blurry text and my Mac is fine.

 

[Rod]

We still don't know what Mac we are talking about here but re text clarity, what resolution are you using?

 

[IWT]

OK, well, anyway, considering there's apparently no solution to fixing the blurry text,

Well, you could try moving from "Scaled" to "Default for Display" (System Preferences > Displays).

Your screenshots show "Scaled".

Ian

 

[vansmith]

You've got an Acer and Dell monitor listed there. Is this happening on both of them or is it isolated to one of them?

 

[jpdemers]

This could be a font smoothing issue. How to fix it depends on your OS version - it could be a Preferences setting, or it could require a Terminal command. Do a search on "Mac font smoothing" to find the proper tweaks.

 

[mafocari]

what resolution are you using?

I mentioned in the original post.

you could try moving from "Scaled" to "Default for Display"

Changing that didn't make text clearer.

You've got an Acer and Dell monitor listed there. Is this happening on both of them or is it isolated to one of them?

The pop-ups' text is the same weird blur no matter which monitor they're on.

Do a search on "Mac font smoothing"

The only app I'm having the blurry text with is the Avast pop-ups. I'm not seeing anything about using "Mac font smoothing" adjusting it for just one app, and I'd rather not "fix" it for all apps or the whole OS just to fix one app's random pop-ups. Maybe you know something specific that I don't?

it could be a Preferences setting

I don't know which setting you mean.

it could require a Terminal command

I don't know which Terminal command you mean.

 

[vansmith]

It could very well be a font smoothing issue. Follow this guide to disable it to see if that is indeed the problem.

 

[jpdemers]

Apple Menu -> System Preferences -> Notifications and Focus
Select Avast, disable notifications.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

The only app I'm having the blurry text with is the Avast pop-ups. I'm not seeing anything about using "Mac font smoothing" adjusting it for just one app, and I'd rather not "fix" it for all apps or the whole OS just to fix one app's random pop-ups. Maybe you know something specific that I don't?

The ONLY app you are having this problem with is Avast? The obvious problem is obvious.

 

[chscag]

The ONLY app you are having this problem with is Avast? The obvious problem is obvious.

See his post #5.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

See his post #5.

I saw it. If Avast is the only app with this "blurry" text, then obviously there is nothing wrong with the Mac, the monitor, or his settings. Avast is the problem. It not being up to him to use or not use it is irrelevant. Avast is the problem.

 

[chscag]

The problem is that he can not do anything about it. The machine belongs to his employer.

 

[Slydude]

I assume there are other Mac users in your organization? Are they having similar issues with Avast?

 

[Lifeisabeach]

The problem is that he can not do anything about it. The machine belongs to his employer.

Correct. And there's nothing we or he can do either. That's my point, obviously.

EDIT: allow me to make another point here. If the problem was a consequence of a display or system setting, meaning the monitor can't render the video signal cleanly, this would NOT be reflected in a screen cap, which has squat to do with mismatches between what a video signal's detail is and what the monitor is capable of.

 

[MacInWin]

The OP has an app that produces fuzzy text for notifications. He cannot remove it because his boss installed it on what is apparently a business Mac. That's the situation in a nutshell.

He has three options I can see.

1. Buy his own Mac and set it up how he wants for his use. The work Mac will still be required, but clicking away the fuzzy text is on the boss' time, so consider it a "paid for" task.
2. Live with it. It's still "paid for" time to make the fuzzy go away.
3. Change bosses. Not easy, and the next boss may not come with a Mac, but hey, the fuzzy went away!

None of them are good.

 

[mafocari]

The ONLY app you are having this problem with is Avast? The obvious problem is obvious.

Yes, and I was looking for a way to fix the fuzzy text; not using Avast doesn't fix the fuzzy test, and I'm told I have to use Avast, and since I couldn't find a fix for the fuzzy text myself, I posted here. No need to circle further.