# Text/fonts screwed up in FF

**URL:** <https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042>\
**Category:** Firefox Development\
**Created:** [August 3, 2021, 8:04am UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042 "2021-08-03T08:04:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Danne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Danne](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/Danne)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 8:04am UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042/1 "2021-08-03T08:04:20Z")

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FF 78.12.0esr (64-bit) on Mac.

The other day, I think Aug 1st, some texts on some sites are completely whacky in FF. Not problems in e.g. Chrome or Safari. Never, ever before in FF either.

Just minutes prior to noticing this, I installed a language add-on to Thunderbird and thought it might be that who caused the issue. Asked in the TB forum here and was told that it’s not so.

I hadn’t installed anything, or changed any settings, in FF before this happened.

See attached screenshot: The first from Chrome showing the post I made in the TB forum. The second is from FF, the same post.

Oh, and it’s not at all just the Moz forum that’s screwed up in FF. It’s random sites.

 ![chrome](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/mozilla/original/3X/8/c/8c9c7d597e19f66692dd7f99bbf71507ff5e2375.jpeg)

 ![moz2](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/mozilla/original/3X/0/8/0888003b377174dafca735642f545f6b30e2b81d.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![jscher2000](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/discourse.mozilla.org/jscher2000/32/28202_2.png) [@jscher2000](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/jscher2000)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042/2 "2021-08-03T16:09:56Z")

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This can be caused by incompatibility with your graphics card/chipset driver software. Could you experiment with the Hardware Acceleration setting:

[https://support.mozilla.org/kb/performance-settings](https://support.mozilla.org/kb/performance-settings)

That takes effect the next time you exit and restart Firefox.

_If that doesn’t help, try:_

(1) In a new tab, type or paste **about:config** in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box in the page, type or paste **gfx.webrender.force-disabled** and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Double-click the preference to switch the value from false (enabled) to true (disabled)

Probably that takes effect the next time you exit and restart Firefox.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Danne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Danne](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/Danne)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042/3 "2021-08-03T18:51:37Z")

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Thanks [jscher2000,](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/jscher2000)

Regretfully none of your suggestions worked.

However, I managed to save logins, bookmarks and cookies to Chrome. The deleted every file connected to FF, made a new clean install, imported the data from Chrome and now FF works as it should. Likely, something in the FF profile folder had gone bad.

So, now all is good.

Chhers,  
Dan

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Danne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Danne](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/Danne)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042/4 "2021-08-04T14:56:12Z")

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Regretfully, I’ll have to revive this thread. Just now, opened a page (a webshop admin) in FF that used to be screwed up. Looked fine. Clicked a link for another page in the admin, and POOF! It all became a mess as before.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Danne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Danne](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/Danne)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042/5 "2021-08-04T15:23:11Z")

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The only letters showing up are T, L and E (in caps). Only number showing up is 4.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jscher2000](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/discourse.mozilla.org/jscher2000/32/28202_2.png) [@jscher2000](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/jscher2000)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/text-fonts-screwed-up-in-ff/84042/6 "2021-08-05T17:50:07Z")

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There seems to be a problem with Open Sans and perhaps a couple other web fonts in 78.12.0esr on MacOS. Here is the open bug:

> **[1723922 - Problem with Font](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1723922)**
>
> UNCONFIRMED (nobody) in Core - Layout: Text and Fonts. Last updated 2021-08-05.

I’m not aware of a workaround at the moment. There are methods to override specific fonts using an extension like [Stylus](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/styl-us/) or rules in a userContent.css file. As an example:

```
/ ***Replace Open Sans with Arial*** /
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans';
  src: local('Arial');
}

/* Heavier weights */
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style:normal; font-weight:600;
  src: local('Arial Bold');
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style:normal; font-weight:700;
  src: local('Arial Bold');
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style:normal; font-weight:800;
  src: local('Arial Bold');
}

/* Italic style */
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style:italic;
  src: local('Arial Italic');
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style:italic; font-weight:600;
  src: local('Arial Bold Italic');
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style:italic; font-weight:700;
  src: local('Arial Bold Italic');
}
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-style:italic; font-weight:800;
  src: local('Arial Bold Italic');
}

```

You could consider doing that as a temporary measure (of course, replace Arial with anything you prefer).