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The instructions given on this page apply only to browsers that have style sheets enabled. To check on that, look at the two letter Xs below. They should be of different sizes. If they have the same size, then your browser does not have style sheets enabled and the browser setting instructions on this page are of no use to you. X X |
Those with poor eyesight or very high resolution monitors may meet Web pages with text that is too small to read.
All browsers that I have ever used offer a way of avoiding that problem.
Some people prefer to change the screen resolution rather than change the browser settings, or they do both. Changing the screen resolution is discussed near the bottom of this page.
Tiny Type - the quick fix
If it is only an occasional page that has the tiny type, use one of the following methods.
Internet Explorer for Windows
In Internet Explorer (5 or 6) for Windows click on "Text Size" in the "View" menu then choose the text size that you prefer. Unfortunately, this does not work for all text, either not changing the size at all, or causing it to become microscopic. Nevertheless, it is useful for text where it does work.
Be aware that the text size setting that you choose will remain in force even if you switch off your computer then return for a later session. This happens because in the case of Internet Explorer, the text size setting is in fact a setting of the default font size.
Mozilla, Firefox and Netscape 7
The following method works for all text (unless of course it is text that is part of a graphics image).
Use ctrl with '+' or "=" to enlarge text, or crtl with '-' to shrink it. Or you can do the same from "Increase Text Size" or "Decrease Text Size" in the "View" menu.
Opera
The following method works for all text, and graphics images too.
In Opera, to enlarge text you use ctrl with + or '0' (the digit zero, not the letter O). To shrink text use crtl with '-'. Or you can do the same from "Zoom" in the "View" menu.
Tiny Type - the permanent solution
The browser settings can be adjusted to give a permanent solution. The method varies from one browser to another.
Many browsers, e.g. Mozilla and Opera, allow you to set a minimum font size. No matter how tiny is the text on the Web page, the browser will automatically enlarge it if necessary to the minimum size that you have set.
Internet Explorer for Windows does not offer a minimum font size setting, but it does have another way of dealing with the problem.
To help you to make the appropriate settings, the following poem is displayed in tiny type, specified in four different ways.
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Mary had a little lamb, |
Mary had a little lamb, |
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Mary had a little lamb, |
Mary had a little lamb, |
Internet Explorer for Windows
Although Internet Explorer for Windows does not have a setting for minimum font size, it offers an accessibility option, intended for those with poor eyesight. To set that, in the Tools menu click on "Internet Options" then on "Accessibility". Then set "Ignore font sizes set on Web pages".
Having done that, set the default font size as described in the next section.
The accessibility option is inferior to the minimum font size setting of more modern browsers. Although it will enlarge all tiny type (except for text presented as a graphics image), it can give unwelcome and unnecessary changes in the sizes of other text. But the view that you get should be acceptable for the great majority of Web pages.
Mozilla, Firefox and Netscape 7
The setting that you require is on the font setting page.
To get there in Mozilla or Netscape 7, in the "Edit" menu choose "Preferences", then click on the "+" that is to the left of "Appearances". Click on "Fonts".
To get to the font setting page in Firefox, in the "Tools" menu choose "Options", then "General", then "Fonts and Colors".
The setting is called "Minimum font size". Set the minimum font size such that the text is small yet clearly legible in all four versions of the above poem, i.e. a size that would be acceptable for footnotes.
Opera
The setting that you require is on the font setting page.
To get there in Opera 7, in the "File" menu choose "Preferences" then highlight "Fonts".
The setting is called "Minimum font size (pixels)". Set the minimum font size such that the text is small yet clearly legible in all four versions of the above poem, i.e. a size that would be acceptable for footnotes.
Setting the default font size(s)
Having fixed the tiny type problem, you may wish to set the default font size(s) and the default fonts. But do not make these adjustments until you have fixed the tiny type problem as described in the previous section, since the settings may interact.
In case you wonder, "default font size" does not mean the size of the default font. It means the size that is used by default for all fonts in cases where the web page does not specify a size. That is, it is the default 'font size', not the 'default font' size.
To help choose the correct size(s), the following poem is displayed with font face and font size being specified in several ways that are commonly used on Web pages.
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Mary had a little lamb, |
Mary had a little lamb, |
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Mary had a little lamb, |
Mary had a little lamb, |
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Mary had a little lamb, |
Mary had a little lamb, |
Choose a setting such that any of them would be acceptable to you for the reading of ordinary paragraph text.
It will almost certainly be impossible for you to get them all to be of the same size. Some compromise may be necessary.
If one of the poems remains stubbornly small even at a setting that makes another poem too large, increase the minimum font size until the smallest poem has the smallest acceptable size for paragraph text, then reduce the default size setting until the largest poem is not too large.
Internet Explorer for Windows
In the "View" menu, click on "Text Size" then choose which of the five sizes you prefer.
You may find that you wish that you had a setting somewhere between two of the sizes that are offered. However, Internet Explorer does not allow that.
Mozilla, Firefox and Netscape 7
First, go to the font setting page, as described in the section "Tiny Type - the permanent solution".
Then set "Size (pixels)" to your liking.
Opera
In Opera 7, in the "File" menu choose "Preferences". Highlight "Fonts" then "Normal". Click on "Choose".
Then set "Size" to your liking.
Setting the default fonts
If a browser does not have the font that the Web page specifies, then it uses one of the default fonts. In most browsers, there is more than one default font that can be set.
In the case of Internet Explorer for Windows, if it does not have the specified font then with most text it forces on you Times New Roman or Arial. But you should still set the default font for the rare Web page where it does make a difference.
To help with the choice, the following poem is displayed in the default font(s). Choose font(s) that appear attractive in the poem. Ensure that your choice does not cause the row of Os below the poem to be displayed with jagged outlines.
Before setting the default fonts, set the default font sizes as described in the previous section
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default O O O O O O O O O O O |
monospace O O O O O O O O O O O |
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serif O O O O O O O O O O O |
sans-serif O O O O O O O O O O O |
Internet Explorer for Windows
To make this adjustment in Internet Explorer for Windows, in the "Tools" menu choose "Internet Options", then click on the "Fonts" button.
Set "Web page font" to choose the font used for the "default" version of of the poem.
Set "Plain text font" to choose the font used for the "monospace" version of the poem.
Internet Explorer for Windows uses Times New Roman and Arial respectively for the "serif" and "non-serif" versions of the poem. This cannot be changed except by writing your own style sheet (not recommended).
Mozilla, Firefox and Netscape 7
First, go to the font setting page, as described in the section "Tiny Type - the permanent solution".
Set "Serif" and "Sans-serif" to fonts that suit you. Suggested serif fonts are Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times New Roman or Times. Suggested sans-serif fonts are Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica or Verdana.
After setting the Serif and Sans-serif fonts, set "Proportional" to give the appearance that you prefer for the "default" version of the poem.
Opera
In Opera 7, in the "File" menu choose "Preferences" then highlight "Fonts".
Highight "Normal". Click on "Choose". Choose the choose the font that you prefer for the "default" version of of the poem.
Highight "CSS font-family serif". Click on "Choose". Choose the choose the font that you prefer for the "serif" version of of the poem. Suggested serif fonts are Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Times New Roman or Times.
Highight "CSS font-family sans-serif". Click on "Choose". Choose the choose the font that you prefer for the "sans-serif" version of of the poem. Suggested sans-serif fonts are Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica or Verdana.
Highight "CSS font-family monospace". Click on "Choose". Choose the choose the font that you prefer for the "monospace" version of of the poem. "Courier" or "Courier New" are popular choices.
You can also highlight the other lines and set their default fonts, although this page has no examples that you can use to test the result. If in doubt, leave these other settings as they are.
Changing the screen resolution
Decreasing the resolution will increase the size of all text and objects on your screen, not just in the browser but in all programs, and also on the desktop.
For example, if your screen resolution is set to 1024 x 768, you could decrease it to 800 x 600, or even 640 x 480, although with the latter you may find that some Web sites will require horizontal scrolling.
Having changed the screen resolution, it is still advisable to go through the browser setting procedure described above.
The help facility of your operating system will almost certainly explain how to change the screen resolution. The help facility of Windows does.
If there are people with good vision who use your machine, they may prefer that the machine remains set at the higher screen resolution.
Comparison of browsers
At present, for Windows machines, Opera is probably the best browser for those who have difficulties with tiny text, because it not only has a minimum font size setting but also a zoom feature that enlarges all text and all graphics.
Mozilla/Firefox/Netscape(6 or 7) are a close second, since they do have the minimum font size setting.
Internet Explorer for Windows has neither a minimum font size setting nor the Opera type of zoom. It lacks a "quick fix" method that works on all text. Its accessibility option sometimes gives unwelcome and unnecessary changes in text size. The choice of default font size is rather limited, with only five rather widely spaced options. The default font size setting does not work on all text, yet on some text applies the "Smaller" setting too enthusiastically, resulting in very tiny type. In these aspects it is inferior to more modern browsers and therefore not a good choice for those with poor vision or very high resolution monitors.
It is rumoured that the browser that will accompany the next major version of Windows (Longhorn) will have the Opera type of zoom.
For the Mac, there are probably other good browsers too, apart from Mozilla and Opera. E.g. Safari is modern and therefore likely to have good user control of fonts and sizes. But since I do not have a Mac, I have no experience of it. Internet Explorer for the Mac is a quite different browser from Internet Explorer for Windows despite having the same name. Again, I have no experience of it.
Contact
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you encounter problems with any of the above.
Email: paperclip444 at peterre dot demon dot co dot uk
(email address deliberately obfuscated to deter address collection by spammers).
Copyright © 2004 by Peterre. All rights reserved.