Anti-aliasing is a process where the edges of images and fonts have pixels added to blend the edge of the item into the background.
Without anti-aliasing, the jaggies are harshly evident.
- With images, approaches include adjusting pixel positions so that there is a more gradual transition between the color of a line and the background color.
Without anti-aliasing, the jaggies are harshly evident.
Advantages
- Makes fonts look smoother
- Rounded edges look round
- Type is easier to read (for some) because it looks more like what printed type looks like
- Some people feel it’s prettier
Disadvantages
- Small fonts become too fuzzy to read
- Sharp edges may be fuzzy and not precise
- Can’t print anti-aliased text as it comes out blurred
- Images are generally larger
- Type is easier to read (for some) because the blurring is reduced and the fonts are clear
Examples