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Q: Font Size Too Small
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Jan 22, 2011 4:29 PMby eww,You can't increase the size of the fonts in menus, dialog boxes, tool palettes, etc.: there's no way. What you can do as a workaround is check the Screen Zoom box in System Preferences > Trackpad. Then whenever you press the Control key and slide two fingertips upward on the trackpad, everything on the screen will be enlarged. You won't be able to see the whole screen at once, but at least you'll be able to read anything on the screen that you scroll to.
The alternative is to sell your machine and buy the standard-resolution model — but it's not available with an anti-glare screen. -
Jan 22, 2011 5:03 PMby captfred,In addition, you can set larger font sizes in many programs. For example in Finder go to Finder > View > Show view options > Set text size larger than the default 12.
This won't affect sidebar or menu fonts but the main file lists are bigger.
In safari or firefox you can set preferences to a larger font size etc.
Many programs have these options but have to be set in each program.
Many programs also support CMD + to enlarge the font and CMD - to reduce.
Regards -
Jan 22, 2011 5:29 PMby vmm2010,Thank you so much for your help. It's really sad to hear that such an expensive computer doesn't have a viewable font size. I love Apple products and have always had Mac's, but I'm so disappointed. I would never imagine the font sizes would differ from model to model. I'm so upset I didn't know this before buying this computer. I've had it for about two months now, and this font size is driving me crazy. Having to zoom in and out all the time is not the most productive way to work. Anyway, I'm stuck with this one now but still hoping there is a way to increase the font size. Thanks again. -
Jan 22, 2011 6:43 PMby eww,If you've always had Macs, then you're aware that you've never been able to adjust the sizes of the menu and dialog box fonts that are giving you fits now. Perhaps you never wanted to, but if you had, you'd have run into the same inflexibility that you find so annoying — at any time since the Mac was introduced in 1984. -
Jan 22, 2011 7:28 PMby Pruitt Hall,eww,
you are so correct there. But, the resolution was always less so everything 'looked' bigger. I'm not complaining a bit...I jumped from the Windows world, but had a laptop that had 1600 resolution so the anti-glare was a natural fit for me. I actually prefer the smaller fonts on everything EXCEPT iCal...there's it's just a tad too small and I know, it can't be changed. I live with it...it would be an excellent Lion enhancement.
That said, I don't get the grief some feel on it...you can 'gesture' up a bigger rendering in almost everything. -
Jan 23, 2011 6:09 AMby vmm2010,Wow! There is no need to get angry just because I can't stand the small fonts on my new MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen Display.
If you take some time to look into different models, you will notice that, depending on the default resolution, the font is either bigger or smaller. Having said that, YES, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A MAC AND I NEVER NEEDED TO CHANGE THE FONT BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER THIS SMALL. Compare the new MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen to the Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen and you will see they have different font sizes because they have different default resolutions. The Antiglare is smaller than the Glossy. -
Jan 23, 2011 6:30 AMby eww,Only you seem to be angry; I certainly am not.
I read most of the posts in these MBP forums every day, so I know that the menu and dialog box fonts and other non-adjustable user interface elements on the recent 17" and 15" high-res MBP screens are too small for some users to read comfortably. I've often warned people in these forums who announced that they were thinking of buying one of those models to sit down in front of one before ordering, because no one wants an unhappy surprise that can't be adjusted away.
I did the simple arithmetic long ago to calculate the pixels-per-inch dimensions of all the various Apple displays. When 1680 x 1050 pixels are crowded into the same area as 1440 x 900 pixels, each pixel is smaller, and anything that is locked to the size of a pixel will also be smaller. Unfortunately, menu bar fonts, dialog boxes, tool palettes in many apps, and some other graphic elements are indeed locked to the size of a pixel. People who order things sight unseen will sometimes get unhappy surprises. I'm sorry that you were one of them.
11.6" MBA: 1366 x 768 pixels @ 135.1 pixels per inch
13.3" MB or MBP: 1280 x 800 pixels @ 113.5 pixels per inch
13.3" MBA: 1440 x 900 pixels @ 127.7 pixels per inch
15.4" MBP: 1440 x 900 pixels @ 110.3 pixels per inch
15.4" hi-res MBP: 1680 x 1050 @ 128.6 pixels per inch
17.0" MBP: 1920 x 1200 pixels @ 133.2 pixels per inch
21.5" iMac: 1920 x 1080 pixels @ 102.5 pixels per inch
24.0" LED display: 1920 x 1200 @ 113.2 pixels per inch
27.0" iMac or LED display: 2560 x 1440 @ 108.8 pixels per inch
30.0" Cinema display: 2560 x 1600 @ 100.6 pixels per inch
Message was edited by: eww -
Mar 3, 2011 9:43 PMby LASwampRat,Personally when I read anything that says better resolution, I cringe...because it most certainly means smaller font. I certainly hope LION allows for increased font size for ALL dialog boxes and defaults.
I switched to mac over a year ago and find the small font size to be one of the mac's worst attributes.
