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). |
