denwah

Q: Mail - OSX Lion - Can't change font in mail list

OSX Lion seems incapable of changing the font in the mail list on the left side. The default is a horrendous, teeny tiny font. Going to Preferences > Fonts and Colors and choosing message list font reveals a font picker. All the other font settings work in this view except the message list font.

 

If you go to the "Classic" (aka ugly) view, your message list font changes work.

 

I am a big believer in software aesthetics, particularly in an app you are staring at all day.

 

Please, oh please, Apple tell me this is not a default behavior! At the very least, if is truly is impossible to change this, and the over-50 crowd must squint at mail all day, indicate somewhere in the prefs panel that this will not work in the new view.

 

I'm really hoping there's a solution for this. As cool as the new mail app is, this would be a deal breaker that would send me running back to Sparrow.

Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 7:01 AM

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Q: Mail - OSX Lion - Can't change font in mail list

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  • by Convicted Melon,

    Convicted Melon Convicted Melon Jul 22, 2011 5:30 PM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 22, 2011 5:30 PM in response to denwah

    This is frustrating indeed, using Classic layout now. 

     

    Well, is there anyway to pinch-to-zoom with the new look Mail?  I received a wishy-washy answer when I asked the question to Applecare support.

  • by ipsips,

    ipsips ipsips Jul 23, 2011 3:10 AM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 23, 2011 3:10 AM in response to denwah

    I find it somehow strange that my message list seems to look different that all the screenshots I got to see:Bildschirmfoto 2011-07-23 um 11.45.49.png

     

    I think the preview font used here is helvetica, it should be lucida grande. I didn’t do anything to the mail.app, just installed lion, opened mail and got this result. which looks ugly. and, of course, none of the prefs influence the look of this list… I also deleted the pref-file, but with no result. I would be very happy with the default style…

  • by Pappasbike,

    Pappasbike Pappasbike Jul 23, 2011 4:33 AM in response to ipsips
    Level 3 (560 points)
    Jul 23, 2011 4:33 AM in response to ipsips

    That's what mine looks like except in English! It is readable but just barely for me on a 13" screen. They are trying to duplicate the look of mail on an ipad. But on my ipad it's easily readable from the start as well as the screen being closer to you as well. I like the message preview and want to keep this view but if we don't get a way to increase the font size I may just give up and switch it back to the "classic" view without the message preview.

  • by Salonica,

    Salonica Salonica Jul 23, 2011 4:34 PM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 23, 2011 4:34 PM in response to denwah

    I agree. I hate this! I can't believe that Apple didn't think this through, especially after all the previous complaints about font sizes not being scaleable.

     

    Fix it !

  • by valhuber,

    valhuber valhuber Jul 24, 2011 10:33 AM in response to christopherfromacton
    Level 1 (10 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 24, 2011 10:33 AM in response to christopherfromacton

    I second the well done.

     

    A related issue is the Message on the right.  Preferences/Fonts works for that, except when the sender chose a teeny tiny font (like 8pt).  I need to be able to specify a minimum font size for messages.

     

    This is important for (MacBook) Air Heads, and for folks with giant screens.

  • by Michael Allbritton,

    Michael Allbritton Michael Allbritton Jul 24, 2011 10:41 AM in response to denwah
    Level 6 (16,832 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 24, 2011 10:41 AM in response to denwah

    Hm, this does indeed appear to be a bug. Everyone that wants to see this behavior changed be sure and submit feedback <http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html>. Be polite! Anger and aggression doesn't help get your feedback read.

  • by NickRich,

    NickRich NickRich Jul 25, 2011 2:46 AM in response to Michael Allbritton
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Jul 25, 2011 2:46 AM in response to Michael Allbritton

    Just another voice to say I too am fustrated by this problem.  I've submitted feedback as suggested.  I hope this gets fixed soon.  Meanwhile, I'm going back to Classic view.

  • by baart,

    baart baart Jul 25, 2011 9:30 AM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 25, 2011 9:30 AM in response to denwah

    had to switch to classic (which BTW looks worse than in Snow Leopard)
    what a major bug!

  • by davmp,

    davmp davmp Aug 1, 2011 2:20 PM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 1, 2011 2:20 PM in response to denwah

    Personally, I'd like to go the other way than the rest of you.  I want to make the message list font *SMALLER*, but it still doesn't work when you try to do that.  As all the rest of you have said, I can make the message font size smaller, etc. and those settings take effect.  It's only the mail list font that refuses to change.

     

    Also, someone above said something about setting a Minimum Font Size for the mail window so they don't have to work with the small font instructions in some e-mails they receive.  I'd like to do the same reverse thing there to!  I don't want to have to use a huge font because the sender of the message choose a huge font.  Probably it'd be best if Apple would just let you a tick a box to say 'Always use my own font settings' or similar.

  • by Moises_Ruiz,

    Moises_Ruiz Moises_Ruiz Aug 3, 2011 5:48 AM in response to davmp
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 3, 2011 5:48 AM in response to davmp

    I am experiencing the same problem and submitted a bug report already.

  • by iKarith,

    iKarith iKarith Aug 26, 2011 5:47 PM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 26, 2011 5:47 PM in response to denwah

    Does Sparrow have this ability?  I have tried to get used to Thunderbird, and I just cannot.  Its integration is just too poor, and it is missing important features like the ability to create a new Note and have it synched with my iOS devices.

     

    I reported the font issue to Apple accessibility late in Lion’s development cycle, but probably too late to get a response.  I’ve reported a bug some weeks ago now regarding the release version, now installed on my (now vintage) MacBook Air.  I haven’t taken the plunge on my iMac yet because I’ve been waiting for 10.7.2 to fix a couple of bugs.  Hopefully this one among them.

  • by eMOeSTe,

    eMOeSTe eMOeSTe Sep 15, 2011 2:17 PM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 15, 2011 2:17 PM in response to denwah

    mail.jpg

     

    Has anyone seen something like that? How Can I fix it, before I throw my iMac throygh the window?

  • by PGe-tips,

    PGe-tips PGe-tips Oct 17, 2011 7:11 AM in response to denwah
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 17, 2011 7:11 AM in response to denwah

    After Upgrdae from 10.6 to 10.7.2 I get this view ... Screen-Shot-2011-10-17-at-16.12.33.png

    I just see AAAAAAAAAA

    as if the Apple guys guessed my feeling after this upgrade

    logged a bug ... it seems that they still fighting this one.

    How difficult can a font problem be . Common Apple you can do much much better !

  • by NickRich,

    NickRich NickRich Oct 17, 2011 9:31 AM in response to PGe-tips
    Level 1 (25 points)
    Oct 17, 2011 9:31 AM in response to PGe-tips

    I don't get that, but I do still have the bug in 10.7.2.  Very poor.  So we still wait for what must surely be a simple bug fix for Apple.  10.7.3 perhaps?

  • by rexfromfullerton,

    rexfromfullerton rexfromfullerton Oct 23, 2011 11:37 AM in response to eMOeSTe
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 23, 2011 11:37 AM in response to eMOeSTe

    I am also getting the same issue.  I have installed Lion on an older imac 24" and a macbook air. None of them have this issue where the message list view on Mail the "from email address" is cut off at the bottom.

    Any one have suggestions. I've even moved the mail preferences out and tried it. I don't want to reinstall the Lion again, wondering if this bug is only specific to imac 27" users.

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