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

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Level 1

14 points

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 11:15 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Boldman17 Author

Level 1

14 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?

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Answer 2

d5tryr

Level 1

10 points

May 11, 2017 10:18 PM in response to Boldman17

Again not the default font size, but as of OSX Sierra you can now use these shortcuts to quickly increase or decrease text size:

Zoom in on note’s contents

Shift-Command->

Zoom out on note’s contents

Shift-Command-<

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Answer 3

tygb

Level 9

64,742 points

Feb 5, 2017 8:44 PM in response to Boldman17

You can follow the article : OS X El Capitan: Change the font sizes listed in the Fonts window

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Answer 4

ZEMAN

Level 1

8 points

Jan 23, 2017 3:37 AM in response to Boldman17

Its my problem also. I will try contacting Apple on https://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 5

dominic23

Level 10

83,952 points

Oct 3, 2015 11:00 AM in response to Boldman17

Click "Format" menu in the Notes menubar

Format > Font > Show Fonts

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

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Answer 6

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. 😟

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Answer 7

mmedric

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.

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Answer 8

Old Toad

Level 10

210,545 points

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.

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Answer 9

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.

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Answer 10

Boldman17 Author

Level 1

14 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.

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Answer 11

miabean

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.

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Answer 12

dawmangg

Level 1

0 points

Oct 9, 2015 8:11 PM in response to Boldman17

a show stopper for B-Boomer eyes ...

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Answer 13

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.

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Answer 14

mmcevoy

Level 1

8 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

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Answer 15

hkongm

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

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