Font Size

[donmcc]

Can all of you give me some help here. I am creating a support file for a course I am designing, and the course has been designed entirely with em measurements in CSS. This means the user should be able to enlarge to a larger point size. In IE 6 on a PC, this is done through View > Text Size > Larger.

I wonder if you people using other browsers, and particularly the Mac could tell me a) the broswer and operating system, and b) the menu command path that will do the same thing (enlarge flexible type).

[Bo Aakerstrom]

Opera (on Windows and Linux) View > Zoom > Whatever zoom factor you want from a list. Or from the numerical keypad (with Num Lock on) - 0 for 10% increase or 9 for 10% decrease.

However; the zoom applies to the entire page, not only the font size.

[donmcc]

Opera (on Windows and Linux) View > Zoom > Whatever zoom factor you want from a list. Or from the numerical keypad (with Num Lock on) - 0 for 10% increase or 9 for 10% decrease.

However; the zoom applies to the entire page, not only the font size.

The whole page? You mean images as well, or it makes a larger window (if not maximized).

[Bo Aakerstrom]

The whole page - including images. It will force you to scroll horizontally in some cases. As an example; this forum can be zoomed to 150% without that happening if your browser window is maximised.

[donmcc]

Cool. I have designed the pages so no horizontal scrolling will occur if the person is using a 1280 pixel window with the maximum IE size, which is about 200%. Beyond that, we would probably be dealing with vision impairment, and they would be used to horizontal scrolling.

[ktinkel]

I wonder if you people using other browsers, and particularly the Mac could tell me a) the broswer and operating system, and b) the menu command path that will do the same thing (enlarge flexible type).Mac: Safari, Firefox: Command-Plus to increase type size (and Command-Minus to reduce it).

Pretty sure it works that way in most (all?) of the Mozilla-related browsers (Mozilla, Firefox, Camino, SeaMonkey, Netscape) on all platforms. And in the Konqueror-related browsers on the Mac, and probably Linux/Unix, which include in addition to Safari, OmniWeb and a couple of others on the Mac. Not sure of the names of ’nix browsers.

The Command key would probably be replaced by Control on non-Mac browsers. And this trick applies to text only (not images or other page elements — that seems to be an Opera-only feat).

[Barrie Greed]

And in the Konqueror-related browsers on the Mac, and probably Linux/Unix

Yes, Control + or Control - does the trick in Konqueror on Linux, Firefox too. I haven't got Galeon handy but it is Gecko based and I'm fairly sure uses the same system.

Barrie Greed

[ktinkel]

Yes, Control + or Control - does the trick in Konqueror on Linux, Firefox too. I haven't got Galeon handy but it is Gecko based and I'm fairly sure uses the same system.Thanks. Figured as much.

This sort of thing is only exciting and novel on MSIE, I think! <g>

[Bo Aakerstrom]

This sort of thing is only exciting and novel on MSIE, I think! <g>

I can't help but wonder how many of those using MSIE actually are aware of the fact that you can change the text size!?:)

There must be someplace you can find stats like that!

[ktinkel]

I can't help but wonder how many of those using MSIE actually are aware of the fact that you can change the text size!?:)I think you can only do it under certain circumstances — not when size is spec’d in pixels, say.

But since I don’t use MSIE 6 cannot say for sure.

[Bo Aakerstrom]

Looking around for an answer to my own question, I came across this "type tester" (http://typetester.maratz.com/).

Could be helpful if you want to see what fonts looks like at different sizes on a web page.

[Bo Aakerstrom]

I think you can only do it under certain circumstances — not when size is spec’d in pixels, say.

But since I don’t use MSIE 6 cannot say for sure.

I was assuming a situation when you actually could do that.

There seems to a lot of web designers using px, some even see it as an advantage; it keeps their precious layout intact!

[ktinkel]

There seems to a lot of web designers using px, some even see it as an advantage; it keeps their precious layout intact!Well, at least when they look at it. Before frantic users do something, anything, to make the type readable! Then it just falls apart.

I think the hardest lesson to learn about web design is that you really have very little idea of what others see, and that there is no way to create a page that is identical in all browsers, all monitors, for all users.

Another good reason to code to standards, and let the chips fall where they may!

[ktinkel]

Looking around for an answer to my own question, I came across this "type tester" (http://typetester.maratz.com/).

Could be helpful if you want to see what fonts looks like at different sizes on a web page.Useful. Thanks.

[Bo Aakerstrom]

Well, at least when they look at it. Before frantic users do something, anything, to make the type readable! Then it just falls apart.

I think the hardest lesson to learn about web design is that you really have very little idea of what others see, and that there is no way to create a page that is identical in all browsers, all monitors, for all users.

Another good reason to code to standards, and let the chips fall where they may!
I admit to being a bit sarcastic - I do agree with what you are saying!

Something that really irks me is the current trend of Flash animations as navigation - the font size is always set to minimal (or something) and you can't change anything regardless of what browser you use!

[iamback]

Thanks. Figured as much.And Ctrl+0 (zero) to set back to the page's default size.

This sort of thing is only exciting and novel on MSIE, I think! <g>Exciting, maybe - but hardly novel; I think the five sizes were there already in version 4, probably even 3.2 (the first version to have support for CSS). What would be novel would be endless scaling with more than just the five sizes which IE is still limited to (not sure about IE7, but anything before that).

[LoisWakeman]

This page (rather out of date now - tsk) might help a bit:

http://lois.co.uk/services/access.shtml#fonts

[donmcc]

I admit to being a bit sarcastic - I do agree with what you are saying!

Something that really irks me is the current trend of Flash animations as navigation - the font size is always set to minimal (or something) and you can't change anything regardless of what browser you use!


And that is sad too, because one of the things I like about Flash is that you can create the files to be stretchable ... on a larger window, the whole movie will enlarge, including the type.

But most users don't use that feature. As Kath says, they design it to the size they think looks good, and ignore all the others who might not be using their computer.

[donmcc]

Thanks for that, Lois.

And also to all the others who contributed to my original question.