Arch Linux Font Improvement Guide

Improving Font Rendering and Compatibility on Arch Linux

Fonts in Arch Linux don't look all that great, and the reason why probably won't surprise you. Furthermore, many people notice the infamous "tofu" everywhere due to a lack of font support. Fortunately, there are a few ways to fix this without having to install many packages, and most of the necessary components should already be installed. Get ready to dive into the configuration files!

Example of Tofu

WARNING

The following tweaks should work fine for most people, but as with anything in life, your experience may vary. If you need further assistance, feel free to leave a comment or consult the Arch Wiki. Furthermore, if you wish not to have any emoji support, be sure to ignore packages ending in or containing the word "emoji".

Synopsis

After installing Arch Linux, you may wonder why the fonts in Arch Linux look so bland compared to Windows and macOS. The reason is that out of the box, Arch Linux doesn't implement many font rendering techniques to make the fonts look clear and legible. Essentially, there isn't much happening behind the scenes, so the text appears rather plain. Additionally, some apps or websites may display tofu (□) due to missing font support. Fortunately, these issues are relatively easy to fix, and this guide will discuss the solutions.

Step 1

Download and install the recommended fonts.

Tip: If the fonts are not available in the main repositories, check the AUR.

Recommended fonts

sudo pacman -S noto-fonts

sudo pacman -S noto-fonts-cjk

sudo pacman -S noto-fonts-emoji

sudo pacman -S noto-fonts-extra

Optional but highly recommended fonts

sudo pacman -S ttf-liberation

sudo pacman -S ttf-dejavu

sudo pacman -S ttf-roboto

Available on the AUR

paru -S ttf-symbola

Popular Monospaced Fonts

sudo pacman -S ttf-jetbrains-mono

sudo pacman -S ttf-fira-code

sudo pacman -S ttf-hack

sudo pacman -S adobe-source-code-pro-fonts

Step 2

Create a local or global XML file to apply font rendering effects.

Global directory: /etc/fonts/local.conf

Per user directory: XDG_CONFIG_HOME/fontconfig/fonts.conf

Example XML file

Modify the XML file as needed

Side note: Please make sure to incorporate fallback fonts and address other necessary criteria, as this XML file is quite barebones and may not cover all potential use cases. Side note: this XML adds emoji support to many apps so feel free to remove it if not needed.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "urn:fontconfig:fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
 <!-- Apply text rasterization, hinting, and anti-aliasing -->
  <match target="font">
    <edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
      <bool>true</bool>
    </edit>
    <edit name="hinting" mode="assign">
      <bool>true</bool>
    </edit>
    <edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
      <const>rgb</const>
    </edit>
    <edit name="hintstyle" mode="assign">
      <const>hintslight</const>
    </edit>
    <edit name="lcdfilter" mode="assign">
      <const>lcddefault</const>
    </edit>
  </match>
  <!-- Configure default fonts & fallback fonts -->
  <!-- Replace fonts with preferred fonts -->
  <!-- Noto Emoji allows for emojis to render in all apps including the terminal, remove if not needed  -->
    <alias>
    <family>serif</family>
    <prefer>
     <family>Noto Serif</family>
     <family>Noto Color Emoji</family>
     <family>Noto Emoji</family>
    </prefer>
  </alias>
  <alias>
    <family>sans-serif</family>
    <prefer>
     <family>Noto Sans</family>
     <family>Noto Color Emoji</family>
     <family>Noto Emoji</family>
    </prefer>
  </alias>
  <alias>
    <family>sans</family>
    <prefer>
     <family>Noto Sans</family>
     <family>Noto Color Emoji</family>
     <family>Noto Emoji</family>
    </prefer>
  </alias>
  <alias>
    <family>monospace</family>
    <prefer>
     <family>JetBrainsMono</family>
     <family>Noto Mono</family>
     <family>Noto Color Emoji</family>
     <family>Noto Emoji</family>
    </prefer>
  </alias>
  <alias>
    <family>mono</family>
    <prefer>
     <family>JetBrainsMono</family>
     <family>Noto Mono</family>
     <family>Noto Color Emoji</family>
     <family>Noto Emoji</family>
    </prefer>
  </alias>
</fontconfig>

Step 3

Install xorg-xrdb (if needed).

sudo pacman -S xorg-xrdb

Edit the ~/.Xresources file OR create one if not present.

Tip: Backup the file just in case.

vim ~/.Xresources

Tip: Replace VIM with your editor of choice.

Add the following lines to that file and save changes.

Xft.lcdfilter: lcddefault
Xft.hintstyle: hintslight
Xft.hinting: 1
Xft.antialias: 1
Xft.rgba: rgb

Run this command when finished.

xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

Step 4

Create required symbolic links for text rendering effects to work:

sudo ln -s /usr/share/fontconfig/conf.avail/10-sub-pixel-rgb.conf /etc/fonts/conf.d/

sudo ln -s /usr/share/fontconfig/conf.avail/10-hinting-slight.conf /etc/fonts/conf.d/

sudo ln -s /usr/share/fontconfig/conf.avail/11-lcdfilter-default.conf /etc/fonts/conf.d/

Step 5

Edit the freetype2.sh file.

sudo vim /etc/profile.d/freetype2.sh

Uncomment the following line from the file.

export FREETYPE_PROPERTIES="truetype:interpreter-version=40"

Step 6

Refresh the font cache files by running the following command.

sudo fc-cache -fv

Step 7

Reboot your PC and enjoy better-looking fonts! 😁

Sources

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Font_configuration

https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php/Improve_Font_Rendering

dajeed/arch-linux-font-improvement-guide