Hey Guys.
I had problem with fuzzy text in VSD as well. I found out that it had to do with the color of the text mixing with the background color. I found that certain mixes create fuzzy text. For the most part, it goes unnoticed, but because it bothered me, I just worked on changing the colors of the text or background & that seemed to do it.
Mark Cimarosti
Registered User
4 posts
Dave Stevens
Registered User
92 posts
Generally speaking I get a less precise edge on my text whenever i apply an effect on text elements in VSD. It only ever happens with text that has effects applied. I assumed it can't fully handle the proper rasterization of the affected text elements and moved on. Barring any other colour contrasting situations, the things that cause this to happens are:
- applying effects to text
- text within objects such as buttons
- scaling text with the "Allow Text Effects" option turned on
Basically anything that VSD will render into an image, which it does for text effects and text within objects and shapes.
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- applying effects to text
- text within objects such as buttons
- scaling text with the "Allow Text Effects" option turned on
Basically anything that VSD will render into an image, which it does for text effects and text within objects and shapes.
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Joseph Lutz
Registered User
20 posts
I'm having the same problem. When I add shadow to the text, it appears fine in VSD. However, when I preview it, it appears fuzzy.
Chad Spillars
Registered User
564 posts
Am I correct that when you add effects to text, the text is converted into an image?
Yes when you add effects the text IS turned into an image. This IS the reason that it looks a little bit fuzzy. (Also means spiders can't crawl your page) However, even if the text is not converted to an image, you need to use caution when matching certain color text against certain backgrounds. Excellent point from Cliff on that one.
I actually have mentioned the blurry text issue to Scott a few times, here is post from last month:
Scott,
I know am sounding like a broken record on the compression issue, but may I give you an example of what I am talking about, because its a problem I run into again and again that makes designing sites significantly more difficult for me.
When I use non-web standard fonts in my sites I have to put a shadow on my text so that VSD will convert it to an image (for purposes of compatibility). I normally turn the shadow down to zero because I don't actually want a shadow, I just want the text converted to an image. The problem is that the software compresses the text image too much. Here is what I mean. This is what the words "Why do I need a web site" look like when it's being displayed as TEXT (not converted to an image):
http://www.brcnews.com/CC-text-1.jpg
It's clean, clear, crisp, and it's actually RED!
Now here is the same text after it has been converted to an image:
http://www.brcnews.com/CC-text-2.jpg
Look at it! The crisp, bright red is no longer crisp bright red. It's fuzzy and yucky. Maybe I am just a perfectionist, but the second image looks very different to me than the first one. This is why, when I do my web sites, I have been having to recreate all text using non-standard fonts in photoshop and place into VSD as a graphic. Because Photoshop lets me control the amount of compression that is applied to the text. I can work with it until it looks good. The end result looks stunning online! But it takes way too much time.
Another reason I find myself having to create text in photoshop is that VSD doesn't offer half-sizes for fonts. Often times the size that the font needs to be in order to fit perfectly into the space that I have allocated for it requires the text size to be just slightly smaller or larger, and VSD won't lemme do that.
Of course I am very well versed in many of Adobe's products such as Photoshop and InDesign, and those softwares not only give you ZILLIONS of font sizes, but let you adjust the width and length of the letters one pixel at a time, and even the spaces between the letters one pixel at a time. I am not asking that VSD go quite that far, just that you offer half sizes for text please.
I know am sounding like a broken record on the compression issue, but may I give you an example of what I am talking about, because its a problem I run into again and again that makes designing sites significantly more difficult for me.
When I use non-web standard fonts in my sites I have to put a shadow on my text so that VSD will convert it to an image (for purposes of compatibility). I normally turn the shadow down to zero because I don't actually want a shadow, I just want the text converted to an image. The problem is that the software compresses the text image too much. Here is what I mean. This is what the words "Why do I need a web site" look like when it's being displayed as TEXT (not converted to an image):
http://www.brcnews.com/CC-text-1.jpg
It's clean, clear, crisp, and it's actually RED!
Now here is the same text after it has been converted to an image:
http://www.brcnews.com/CC-text-2.jpg
Look at it! The crisp, bright red is no longer crisp bright red. It's fuzzy and yucky. Maybe I am just a perfectionist, but the second image looks very different to me than the first one. This is why, when I do my web sites, I have been having to recreate all text using non-standard fonts in photoshop and place into VSD as a graphic. Because Photoshop lets me control the amount of compression that is applied to the text. I can work with it until it looks good. The end result looks stunning online! But it takes way too much time.
Another reason I find myself having to create text in photoshop is that VSD doesn't offer half-sizes for fonts. Often times the size that the font needs to be in order to fit perfectly into the space that I have allocated for it requires the text size to be just slightly smaller or larger, and VSD won't lemme do that.
Of course I am very well versed in many of Adobe's products such as Photoshop and InDesign, and those softwares not only give you ZILLIONS of font sizes, but let you adjust the width and length of the letters one pixel at a time, and even the spaces between the letters one pixel at a time. I am not asking that VSD go quite that far, just that you offer half sizes for text please.
Not trying to beat up on Coffee Cup. They make EXCELLENT software! But, for now, if you are bothered by the fuzzy text, here are my suggestions:
1-Do not add any effects to text, and use care to not to match text colors against backgrounds that clash or don't create enough contrast to be clearly visible.
2-As Cliff mentioned, be sure not to stretch the text after you have created it.
3-Do what I do, create text in Photoshop (.png format is best quality) and import into VSD. If you look at my site, you will see that, even though I created this whole site in VSD, there is NO blurry text anywhere. That's because all of the text that I wanted to add effects to was created in Photoshop:
http://www.sprucepinedesign.com/
Hope this helps!
Chad Spillars
"Look I finally made myself a signature!"
"Look I finally made myself a signature!"
Phil
Ambassador
2,174 posts
Chad wrote:
3-Do what I do, create text in Photoshop (.png format is best quality) and import into VSD. If you look at my site, you will see that, even though I created this whole site in VSD, there is NO blurry text anywhere. That's because all of the text that I wanted to add effects to was created in Photoshop:
3-Do what I do, create text in Photoshop (.png format is best quality) and import into VSD. If you look at my site, you will see that, even though I created this whole site in VSD, there is NO blurry text anywhere. That's because all of the text that I wanted to add effects to was created in Photoshop:
+1 on this one. That's actually what I was going to suggest. I was shown that trick by my Sister, who got all of the artist talents in the family
Living the dream, stocking the cream
Chad Spillars
Registered User
564 posts
Yes, it works very well, but also takes a lot longer. I have been hoping that CC might reduce the compression on text that is converted to an image. I am not sure if that is a feature that will be incorporated into v6.1 or not. Scott has expressed to me that there are some things software cannot EVER do simply because they are limited by the original architecture :-)
Chad Spillars
"Look I finally made myself a signature!"
"Look I finally made myself a signature!"
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