Until Netscape and
Microsoft can "read from the same page", controlling font sizes in your browser
will be a never ending battle. However, if you are troubled by font sizes that
are either too small or too large, the problems may relate to your settings,
not necessarily to that of any particular website. There are two basic settings
that you can control: font preferences in your browser and your monitor
(screen) resolution.
You can control your font preferences in your
browser. This will not affect your viewing of all websites, as some sites have
"hardcoded" the size they want you to see, even if it is too small to
see!
To make temporary changes, in both Netscape and Explorer, on the
main menu, click on View and you will see a font size menu item. Adjust as
necessary, but note the original setting before changing it. In some versions
of the programs, these changes will "stick"; in others they will revert to
their previous settings when you next use the browser.
For lasting
changes, in Netscape, use the main menu to go to Edit, Preferences.... Click on
Appearance, Fonts. There you will see specific settings for Fixed and Variable
width fonts.
For lasting changes, in Internet Explorer... Explorer 4.x
and 5.x each handle font sizes a little differently. Go to Tools, Internet
Options. Then, in 4.x go click the font button and make the needed changes in
size. In 5.x, there is no similar setting, however, in both 4.x and 5.x you can
click on the Accessibility button and disable fonts used by web authors (but
this can result in a dramatic change in appearance); still this is the start of
the approach used by the visually challenged. (Always write down the current
settings, so that you can restore them if you later change your mind.) If fonts
look too small to you, then increase these sizes. If too large, then reduce
them.
The other major "font problem" that people overlook is their
monitor. Most monitors are delivered to their new owner with default resolution
settings and there they sit, never changed. I have good eyes, thus I use
resolutions of 1280 x 1024 pixels or higher. However, most monitors are
delivered with defaults of 640 x 480 or perhaps 800 x 600. The higher the
resolution, the smaller the text will appear on the screen. However, more text
will thus fit on the screen. On my 21" monitors, I can see at least four times
as much area as can the typical viewer on the typically configured 15" or 17"
monitor. If you wish to experiment with your monitor resolution you can do the
following on Windows. You MUST close all programs. If your computer has not
been rebooted/restarted for quite a while, shut it down and restart it before
proceeding. With no programs running, click on your "Start" button (probably in
the lower left corner of your screen if you have not moved it). Then click on
Settings, and then Control Panel. On Windows 95 and Windows 98, select
"Display"; it might be different in other versions. From that point, you will
have to navigate carefully as what you see will depend upon the brand of
monitor and brand of video card you have installed. However, always record any
settings before you change them and don't change anything that you do not
understand. What you are looking for is the "resolution"; it will be expressed
in relative numbers like 800x600 or 1280x1024. Some older monitors cannot
support the higher resolutions or may flicker at higher resolutions. (If you
have an older monitor that has a maximum resolution of 800x600, it is probably
time for a new monitor). After making the change, your screen may go black for
a moment and then come back to life. Alternatively, you may get a message that
you have to shutdown and restart Windows before the change takes effect. Do as
directed. When you system is back up and running, if you have increased the
resolution, all of your desktop icons will be smaller. Either way, the icons
may need to be rearranged (on an open area of the desktop, right click, select
Arrange Icons, and then By Name; I do NOT recommend
Autoarrange).
All of this information may be too detailed or sound
intimidating for many users. However, it gives you an idea that some of the
aspects of font size and resolution are under your control. Perhaps the next
time the "family computer expert" comes visiting, you can ask them to show you
these various settings and work through the process with you. If you make notes
about what you changed, you can always change it back.
Disclaimer: As
with anything that has to do with computers, things can go wrong. Do not
attempt anything with which you are not comfortable. One should always have
backups of data (every year several clients bemoan their lost data). |
