You’ve pointed out one of my favorite observations about Photoshop: there’s always more than one approach to a challenge. (Even if the challenge is obscure.

Thanks for sharing your system.

Colleen

1. Resize the image to 300%
2. Make three copies of the type, each 1 pixel horizontally offset
4. Set each layer to show B, G, R (from left to right)
5. Resize the image back to its original size (33.33%)

A major caveat with these techniques is that they optimize the image for one very specific kind of monitor. If you view these on a CRT, they look awful. If you view them on a rotated (portrait orientation) LCD, they look awful. Worse, not all LCDs have the same subpixel layout. Deke’s example optimized the image for BGR, but I have an RGB layout, for example. If you optimize for the wrong layout, it looks double-awful!

Of course, a far better solution is to use webfonts and let the browser do the subpixel rendering.

“Importing type as a smart object delivers standard grayscale antialiasing (just as when working with small vector objects). In fact, it’s an inferior solution to working with type created directly in Photoshop, which at least gives you the four ‘hinted’ antialiasing styles to choose from.

“I believe my technique can be recorded as an action, which would dramatically simplify its application. In any case, I present Subpixel Rendering as an alternative option that may or may not meet a user’s needs. It certainly qualifies as King of the Geeks material, I’ll grant you.

—Deke”