iCal font size - too small

Question

Level 1

1 points

iCal font size - too small

Hello:

I bought an iMac with a 27" screen. Great computer! However, the font size in iCal is very small - small enough that I find it difficult to read - and I cannot figure out a way to enlarge it. (Ditto for Address Book). Is there a way to enlarge the font?

Thanks.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Dec 28, 2009 8:14 AM

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Answer 1

CB-DC

Level 1

75 points

Apr 4, 2011 5:44 PM in response to dmorri35

Only way to insure someone might look is to post comments to http://www.apple.com/feedback and select iCal.

I'd actually settle for the right to have the calendar have black typeface white background, rather than the blue on blue, green on green etc. I've increased contrast on my computer etc. It's legible, but minimally. I'm about to upgrade to the new iCal app (so I can retain syncing with my iPhone and iPad2 - but that means I give up Entourage with it's better legibility).

Please everyone - post feedback. I did about a year ago. Perhaps it's time again.

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Answer 2

gordon k

Level 1

49 points

Jul 7, 2011 8:04 AM in response to dmorri35

Yep, got a new monitor and the iCal font is smaller than ever. And I have pretty good eyesight.

Have put a request up here - http://www.apple.com/feedback/ical.html

Hopefully they get round to implementing this rudimentary feature at long last, but I'm not holding my breath...

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Answer 3

Billish

Level 1

23 points

Aug 28, 2011 9:53 PM in response to dmorri35

Holy Moley, Everybody!

I had no idea there's a GESTURE already in OS X to zoom the entire screen in and out...making things like iCal's ridiculously small font easier to see.

Just hold down CONTROL and do the two-finger scroll up and down....it zooms the entire screen!

One just has to make sure it's turned on in System Preferences->Trackpad->Screen Zoom

Why the heck wasn't this particular gesture made a KEY PART of all the gesture tutorials?!?!

Here's more details about this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3189538?start=0&tstart=0

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Answer 4

Ferd II

Level 10

104,871 points

Dec 28, 2009 11:42 AM in response to dmorri35

dmorri35,

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

The only adjustment that iCal allows for increasing the font size is to use the Universal Access Preference selection. Open System Preferences>Universal Access>Seeing>Zoom (On)>Options...> (✓) Use scroll wheel with modifier keys to zoom. I chose the "control" key. That shortcut will also work for any other screen presentation.

;~)

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Answer 5

Jan 26, 2010 9:56 AM in response to Ferd II

Ferd II,

That is "a solution" - but not an ideal one. I don't want to have to manually zoom in each time I want to see the schedule.

The font size in iCal is way too small. Ideally, there should be font controls added (color is an issue as well).

Apple?

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Answer 6

Shubes

Level 1

13 points

Feb 22, 2010 11:44 AM in response to dmorri35

I wish I were replying with a solution; unfortunately, I'm just replying to echo what appears to be a common complaint: the teeny font size in iCal, especially as seen on a 27" display.

Telling someone they need to change the universal font size so they can view a bigger font in iCal is hardly a viable solution. That's basically the equivalent of telling someone to buy a desk simply because their scroll wheel response isn't adjusted correctly.

I don't need a "bigger desktop"; I just need a way to increase the font size in one application.

Apple, are you listening?

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Answer 7

Scott Rose

Level 4

1,042 points

Feb 24, 2010 7:37 AM in response to dmorri35

I'm a broken record today, and I DO NOT WORK FOR BUSYMAC. However, BusyCal solves this problem by letting you specify any font and any font size for your entire calendar. And you can override that font on an appointment-by-appointment basis. It's amazing. BusyCal syncs with iCal, too, so you will lose no events and lose no iPhone/MobileMe syncing ability. I'm just chuckling because 75% of all the posts I've read today on this forum are solved by BusyCal. Apple will never fix most of these problems, because Apple doesn't see these things as problems! Users like myself DO see these things as problems, though, which is why I have left iCal for other alternatives like BusyCal.

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Answer 8

Feb 24, 2010 6:03 PM in response to dmorri35

welcome to the unhappy apple users forum - "appelistas" still avoid the reality that almost all basic functions for everyday computer use - address books, email, calendars, word processing, spreadsheets etc are ALL SUPERIOR IN WINDOWS - Apple has great marketing not great software- END OF STORY - BUYER BEWARE.

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Answer 9

dawmster

Level 1

0 points

Mar 17, 2010 1:03 AM in response to dmorri35

I did a small trick, from the "so called solution" category.

Change the resolution to 1920x1080.
The fonts is bigger without much of a visual difference.

Come on APPLE - EVEN ******* WINDOWS has setting to increase font size...
Just DO IT - we NEED it.

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Answer 10

wiget1

Level 1

0 points

Apr 28, 2010 7:51 PM in response to dawmster

We finally upgraded Exchange to 2007.
I'm thinking finally I can use Mail and move totally away from my PC.
Love Mail. And then I open iCal. Wonderful app but if I can't see it I can't use it.
I can't believe a company that prides itself on the user experience can "Miss" something so simple.
Older people require larger fonts!
Changing resolution is a poor excuse for a solution.

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Answer 11

pferdy

Level 1

0 points

May 13, 2010 4:04 AM in response to wiget1

Font size change throughout should be an Apple objective. Too many applications have fonts only suitable for teenage eyes. Windows has a system wide setting for increasing the pixels per character. The Accessibility options are not good enough. I also want to change to higher contrast colour schemes (themes, skins).

Please do it for next OS release.

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Answer 12

tecmuse

Level 1

8 points

May 14, 2010 8:55 AM in response to pferdy

Please add my voice to the request for control over font size in iCal, Address Book and Mail. My new MBP HiRes screen is nearly unreadable in iCal and will not zoom with the trackpad gestures. Ditto for Address Book and Mail. In mail, if I set the font size so that I can read my messages easily without buying new glasses, it also sends messages in the huge font. Add this to the annoyance that I had to close the preview window because Mail would mark my messages as read as I scrolled through the list (another forum topic). Apple, listen to your users - post an update to all three programs, please.

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Answer 13

May 28, 2010 7:54 PM in response to dmorri35

WOW!!!. Just bought a MacPro and can't read the Ical font size on the calendar!!. Apple give me a break. Is there anybody at Apple over 30??. For us simple folks over 40 it is difficult if not impossible to read it. Will IWorks 2010 come with a feature to enlarge fonts on Ical. If not this Apple goes out the window!!!

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Answer 14

tinwv

Level 1

4 points

Jul 27, 2010 5:34 PM in response to dmorri35

Just bought my first Mac - a Macbook Pro 17". I'm in the over 40 crowd and would like to put my vote in for increased font size for iCal, as well as the toolbar and Safari bookmark bar and tabs. Meanwhile, I'm using Google calendar!

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Answer 15

Aug 11, 2010 4:23 PM in response to tinwv

My resolution is 1680x1050. I have a hard time reading most text on this 15" MBP. I believe the only solution is to lower the resolution, but I desire the extra space.

Emails, which I've tried all the font settings, are almost too small to read what the person is writing at 12pt and I don't want to reply with big, clown text.

So, I also am putting in my request, I'm just not sure what I'm requesting : )

j

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