I can't remember what they call it - it's not 'Cleartype' - and it's not identical, but close. Adobe Photoshop has a fake Cleartype antialiasing method, among it's other, arguably better internal methods. So, either that theory is wrong, or there is some API to run the same font -> anti-aliasing -> bitmap for that very kind of purpose (that is ignorant of 'zoom'), or Paint is just faking Cleartype rendering. I didn't think that information was easily available to programs, it was more of a final rendering system buffer that applications can't access.

I actually think it's pretty interesting that Paint preserves Cleartype anti-aliasing. That's because Photoshop has it's own antialiasing engine that is sophisticated enough to take zoom into account, and simulate the output during entry. Photoshop does actually render text entry at >1:1 zooms, exactly as it will appear once done and rasterized. So, it renders the text-entry at an exaggerated on-screen point size, to mathematically aproximate the size it will appear once rasterized to pixels. Paint just isn't sophisticated enough to render the text entry at the same zoomed-in 'effective' resolution you are seeing once the text is rasterized to actual pixels (that you are then seeing zoomed in). 400% = 16x more screen pixels per bitmap pixel, for a 4x bigger square. When you zoom in to 200%, every pixel in the image will be represented by four actual screen pixels (in a 2x bigger square). It's the fundamental concept of a bitmap or raster image. Then when done, all jaggy and alias-ey and clear-type-ey. While zoomed in that far (400% I think), if you try adding text now, it will look clear and sharp while typing. Otherwise you'll just see bigger jaggies.) (If you have that enabled as it is by default since Vista. If you zoom in, say by clicking 'Zoom in' three times, you'll clearly see the rainbow-colored clear-type anti-aliasing.

If you click on the 'View' tab and then click on '100%', then typed text will appear exactly while typing, as when done typing.Cleartype anti-aliasing and all. The only way you would see that effect in Paint, is if you were zoomed in > 1:1.

How to download fonts to paint 3d