Mac mail : how to increase font size ?

Question

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Mac mail : how to increase font size ?

Hello everyone 🙂

Since I've updated my MBA to OS Mavericks, I faced pretty annoying problem viewing some messages in mail.app :

Prior to 10.9, the following command-line command used to work:

defaults write com.apple.mail MinimumHTMLFontSize 12

But in Mavericks, it seems this no longer works.

Anyone found another way to increase the default minimum font size for new messages? Some HTML messages are coming in with tiny, almost unreadable font sizes.

Thank you for your time !

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7.1)

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 10:24 PM

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Answer 1

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 25, 2013 12:17 AM in response to Moloy

It seems like com.apple.mail location is changed. Or the file is renamed . . . could anyone advice anything ?

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Answer 2

Oct 25, 2013 5:02 AM in response to Moloy

I am also interested in finding this out.

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Answer 3

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 25, 2013 5:44 AM in response to MoisesRuiz

By the way, drag & drop doesn't work with most of attachements (even copy/paste sometimes doesn't work) in mail.app as well. I have to save attachements to downloads folder and then to re-drag back into the message. Unbelievebly annoying.

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Answer 4

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 28, 2013 12:06 AM in response to Moloy

Okay I called Apple support and described the problem in as detailed way as possible. But employee answered that Apple does not support 3rd party scripts using terminal and they have no idia where is file "com.apple.mail " located in Mavericks so...looking forward receiving solution from some experienced users !

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Answer 5

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 24, 2013 8:10 PM in response to Moloy

Any news so far? By the way, some problem while trying to disable automatic preview of attachements using "sudo defaults write com.apple.mail DisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool yes"

This is extremely frustrating ))

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,566 points

Dec 24, 2013 8:22 PM in response to Moloy

I can't remember if it was this one or another, but I couldn't get it to work with the Terminal, but using Secrets it did work. You might try that or OnyX or TinkerTool to set it. I don't know why it would work with Secrets but not the command line since that is all Secrets does is run the command. Weird.

Also, you don't need sudo. You own the plist you are changing.

EDIT: ok, sorry, it wasn't that preference. I can't make it work using any method.

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Answer 7

Jan 7, 2014 6:59 AM in response to Moloy

Did you ever find a solution to this??

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Answer 8

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 7, 2014 8:56 AM in response to eddiesalem

Unfrotunately - nope. Moreover...since I've downloaded Maverics I faced soooo many mail annoying bugs, that I just gave up and got used to a bugged mail client. Even after mail updates, it incorrectly indicates number of unread messages, has problems with copy/pasing attachements, creating/renaming new mailboxes...

In fonts and collors section fo options the change of "Message font" influences for unknown reason only some messages, while other messages ignore any changes.

I am also no more longer able to deactivate auto preview of attachements.

I just started to love nice old and RELATIVELY stable in turms of mail.app Mac OS X Mountain Lion . . . good old days...

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Answer 9

Adambr

Level 1

14 points

Jan 8, 2014 9:55 AM in response to Moloy

Same issue here. I had previously used "defaults write com.apple.mail MinimumHTMLFontSize 12" but it no longer works so I have to use "cmd+" on each individual message from Windows users--very annoying.

There are other Mail issues too. For example, incorrect count of flagged messages (says there are 7; there are 5--that sort of thing), smart mailboxes misbehaving, etc. But the font size issue is my biggest annoyance.

I was actually quite pleased with how smooth the upgrade from ML went (I put it off until 10.9.1)--I expected more issues, but this would be a nice thing to fix.

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Answer 10

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 14, 2014 3:58 AM in response to Moloy

Sup fellows !

I am facing another annoying problem, that might be a bug. The folder located in ~/Library/Mail Downloads is no more longer automatically purged/cleaned even when I check Mail Settings -> Revome unedited downloads -> When Mail Quits.

If this is a new common bug - kindly dont forget to manualy delete these attachements, they occupy significant part on my disc.

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Answer 11

Eric Root

Level 10

684,033 points

Jan 14, 2014 12:59 PM in response to Moloy

Apple doesn’t routinely monitor the discussions.

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

Mail/Provide Mail Feedback

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Answer 12

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 14, 2014 8:07 PM in response to Eric Root

Ok, I've send 3 bug messages to Apple support, describing every bug in detail. Hope that helps ))

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Answer 13

Mar 7, 2014 8:47 PM in response to Moloy

Any luck with this yet? It's driving me crazy.. even after updates, still doesn't work.

Someone please help! Thanks!

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Answer 14

Moloy Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 7, 2014 8:58 PM in response to TahoeDog412

Well...as you can see after installing recent update update Apple support ignored my messages) Still same problems with incorrect number of messages, no option for increasing font size, no option to turn automatic preview of attachements in pdf and many other "wonderfull" features.

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Answer 15

Mar 7, 2014 9:07 PM in response to Moloy

I did find some success by "rebuidling" a mailbox -- although not with the font size issue.

Have you ever tried the "rebuild" option?

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