If your Linux fonts look a little fuzzy, like a hungover morning, there’s no need to stress. You can make them render a bit more sharp and clean by setting a single environment variable.

Just open /etc/environment, add the line

FREETYPE_PROPERTIES="cff:no-stem-darkening=0 autofitter:no-stem-darkening=0"

and reboot.

What this does is turn off Freetype’s “stem darkening” a feature meant to thicken fonts at smaller sizes.

While the idea is to improve readability, it often makes text look slightly blurry instead. Disabling it is like opening the blinds on a sunny morning—suddenly everything looks clearer. With one tweak, you get cleaner letters and happier eyes.