Small Font Substitution Not Done in Windows NT or Windows 95

 Last reviewed: November 12, 1995
Article ID: Q139004
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) included with: 

        - Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51
    - Microsoft Windows 95 version 4.0

SUMMARY

In Windows versions 3.1 and 3.11, the operating system substituted raster fonts for TrueType fonts when the requested font size fell below approximately 8 points. Typically, the "Small Fonts" raster font would be the substituted font. This font was designed to replace TrueType fonts at very small point sizes because it was more readable and faster to display than most TrueType fonts were at the same sizes.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows 95 and Windows NT no longer do raster font substitution at small point sizes. This is because TrueType fonts that are requested at very small point sizes are now reliably realized without using raster font substitution.

Some 16-bit Windows-based applications depend on the exact extent of strings output with a given font. These applications may not be aware of the fact that fonts realized at small point sizes were automatically substituted with the "Small Fonts" raster font. As a result, these applications may have trouble displaying their output exactly as intended when running under Windows 95 or Windows NT.

Additional reference words: 4.00 smallfont outlinethreshold
KBCategory: kbgraphic kbdisplay
KBSubcategory: GdiFnt GdiTt

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Last reviewed: November 12, 1995
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