Boldman17

Q: Change default font size in Notes App in OS X El Capitan

In previous versions of the Notes App in OS X, you could change the default font by altering the DefaultFonts.plist file. No real preferences option from within the app, but it still worked. Now, in OS X El Capitan, you cannot overwrite that file. And the problem is the default font size for Notes is really tiny and there's no way to make it bigger for all notes by default. Any notes you write on your iPhone for example, synchronize on the Mac with a font that just isn't readable. Any ideas of how to change it permanently?

OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Oct 1, 2015 11:22 PM

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Q: Change default font size in Notes App in OS X El Capitan

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  • by dominic23,

    dominic23 dominic23 Oct 3, 2015 11:00 AM in response to Boldman17
    Level 8 (41,531 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 3, 2015 11:00 AM in response to Boldman17

    Click "Format" menu in the Notes menubar

     

    Format > Font > Show Fonts

     

    Screen Shot 2015-10-03 at 13.47.21 PM.png

     

    When Fonts window opens up, drag the slider up to increase the font size.

     

    Screen Shot 2015-10-03 at 13.48.24 PM.png

  • by ja.support,Helpful

    ja.support ja.support Oct 3, 2015 11:32 AM in response to dominic23
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 3, 2015 11:32 AM in response to dominic23

    Yes, but that's only a change for that specific note or text.  The author is looking for a change to the default... if not, you'll have to do this for every note, whether started in El Capitan or iOS9 (and later appearing in El Capitan).

    I've got the same question but unfortunately no solution.

  • by mmedric,

    mmedric mmedric Oct 4, 2015 10:54 AM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 4, 2015 10:54 AM in response to Boldman17

    I am looking for the same.  Unfortunately, this is a deal breaker for me.  I've been an avid user of Notes for years but it's barely usable with that tiny font style.  I'm not sure what Apple was thinking there.

     

    I will post back if I figure out a way to deal with this.

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Oct 4, 2015 11:08 AM in response to mmedric
    Level 10 (140,908 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Oct 4, 2015 11:08 AM in response to mmedric

    There is no way to change the default font or size  but one can quickly increase the size of the text by selecting and using the Command(⌘) - + key combination.

    OTsig.png

  • by Tom Strand,

    Tom Strand Tom Strand Oct 4, 2015 3:12 PM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Oct 4, 2015 3:12 PM in response to Boldman17

    This is a huge pain.

     

    I want all of my notes to be 16 points (I bought the 6 Plus because of the larger screen real estate for my aging eyes).

     

    It's not possible to modify the .plist even if logged in as root.

     

    Sigh.

  • by Boldman17,

    Boldman17 Boldman17 Oct 5, 2015 6:14 AM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Oct 5, 2015 6:14 AM in response to Old Toad

    If you do this, then surprisingly the fonts get smaller when the note synchronizes with the iPhone.

     

    What I want to be able to do, is set the default font size, like one can do in Mail, Textedit, and almost any writing app. Even Simplenote lets you set the default font size for all notes.

  • by miabean,

    miabean miabean Oct 8, 2015 11:32 AM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 8, 2015 11:32 AM in response to Boldman17

    I'm in the same boat. I use notes extensivly on many different projects. Was looking forward to finally haveing some control over it (check lists, adding bullets in iphone) instead it's become a daily irritation. Needs to be fixed in an update ASAP.

  • by dawmangg,

    dawmangg dawmangg Oct 9, 2015 8:11 PM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 9, 2015 8:11 PM in response to Boldman17

    a show stopper for B-Boomer eyes ...

  • by rossroad1956,

    rossroad1956 rossroad1956 Oct 19, 2015 1:26 AM in response to dawmangg
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 19, 2015 1:26 AM in response to dawmangg

    Exactly the same predicament here. Instead of improving a longstanding

    constraint they've made it impossible to currently override the default font

    size. Deal breaker for me.

  • by mmcevoy,

    mmcevoy mmcevoy Oct 29, 2015 1:20 PM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2015 1:20 PM in response to Boldman17

    OMG this is incredibly frustrating, I have just updated to El Captain and first app I opened was Notes as I use it so much. Couldn't read it so like all I go to DefaultFonts to find I can't edit the **** thing. **** you Apple.

     

    Mike

  • by hkongm,

    hkongm hkongm Oct 29, 2015 5:52 PM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2015 5:52 PM in response to Boldman17

    非常同意,代表中国用户,支持加入默认字号设置,现在的默认字号太小了,看瞎眼啊

  • by Boldman17,Helpful

    Boldman17 Boldman17 Nov 7, 2015 1:54 AM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Nov 7, 2015 1:54 AM in response to Boldman17

    After searching online for more than a month and seeing no user come up with a solution and after downloading new beta versions of El Capitan and seeing that Apple just doesn't care about something so fundamental as the readability of the app that was probably the most important update of El Capitan, I've come up with the only solution...

     

    I've moved my notes to Simplenote! Simple as that. I can change the default size of all notes and have them be equally readable on OS X, iOS devices, browsers, even publish them on the web and see detailed version history. Sure, I miss making a word bold and including an image would some times be useful,  but I used Notes basically to take notes and El Capitan just made it impossible for me to use any more.


    How about that Apple?

  • by mmcevoy,

    mmcevoy mmcevoy Nov 7, 2015 3:52 AM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 7, 2015 3:52 AM in response to Boldman17

    Boldman17, I am tempted to do that myself, I am SO disgusted at Apple for such an oversight. I'm hoping for a patch soon! I used use Evernote prior to Notes and I remember there was limitation with the free version, can't rightly remember, I believe it may have been searching, on the free version I don't believe you could search, which would be a show stopper for me.

     

    Mike

  • by mmcevoy,

    mmcevoy mmcevoy Nov 7, 2015 4:21 AM in response to Boldman17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 7, 2015 4:21 AM in response to Boldman17

    Doesn't look like Evernote allows font size to be changed either on iPad, sigh...

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