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Fix font rendering problems by turning off natural metrics

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Caution

Update: The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application has been permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10. For more information, see Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ.

By default, Internet Explorer 11 uses “natural metrics”. Natural metrics use inter-pixel spacing that creates more accurately rendered and readable text, avoiding many common font rendering problems with Windows Internet Explorer 9 or older sites.

However, you might find that many intranet sites need you to use Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) metrics. To avoid potential compatibility issues, you must turn off natural metrics for those sites.

To turn off natural metrics

  • Add the following HTTP header to each site: X-UA-TextLayoutMetrics: gdi

-OR-

  • Add the following <meta> tag to each site: <meta http-equiv="X-UA-TextLayoutMetrics" content="gdi" />

Turning off natural metrics automatically turns on GDI metrics.