# Enlarging text size in browser (getting old, alas) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622 "2006-12-02T22:10:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/1 "2006-12-02T22:10:24Z")
(Yes, getting old. And I spend many, many hours staring at computer screens, and my eyes get tired.) At work my computer runs linux, and my browser is Mozilla. When I have trouble making out the text on a web page I just click on ‘view’ and pick a degree of zoom. It works, other than text lines running over areas it shouldn’t. Here at home I have WinXPHome, and use IE6.0. Under ‘view’ there is a ‘text size’ option that runs in five steps from ‘largest’ to ‘smallest’. The thing is, I’ve just tried each and every setting on this website (and one other) and there is not the least change in how large the text appears. What an I doing wrong? If this is universally broken in 6.0, is it fixed in the new version? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/2 "2006-12-02T22:12:59Z")
Okay, and I just tried it on a third page, where it works properly. So why doesn’t it work HERE? This is the site I actually read the most… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/3 "2006-12-02T22:17:48Z")
If you have a mouse with a wheel, and don’t mind switching to Firefox, you can hold down your Ctrl key and adjust the font size with the wheel. Works fine on this MB. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/4 "2006-12-02T22:20:09Z")
I’ve just checked that the same thing works on IE7. Sorry, but I’ve not got IE6 installed. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/5 "2006-12-02T22:32:21Z")
The reason it won’t work for some web pages is that they restrict how the display can be displayed. Basic HTML text size can be controlled by the person viewing the text, but other text is locked into a specific size. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/6 "2006-12-02T22:44:58Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] I’ve just checked that the same thing works on IE7. Sorry, but I’ve not got IE6 installed. [/QUOTE] Well, I just tried control+wheel: it works on the page where the ‘view’ options works, and doesn’t on the other pages. Including this one. [QUOTE=RealityChuck] The reason it won’t work for some web pages is that they restrict how the display can be displayed. Basic HTML text size can be controlled by the person viewing the text, but other text is locked into a specific size. [/QUOTE] Dang. That must be it. So…why do they do it? Are they out to drive away (getting on towards) Senior Citizens? Or is just overall control-freak-ishness? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/7 "2006-12-02T22:58:55Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] Well, I just tried control+wheel: it works on the page where the ‘view’ options works, and doesn’t on the other pages. Including this one. Dang. That must be it. So…why do they do it? Are they out to drive away (getting on towards) Senior Citizens? Or is just overall control-freak-ishness? [/QUOTE] It’s just not thinking of the need, generally. However, Firefox 2.0 and IE7 both work on this page, at least in my configuration. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/8 "2006-12-02T23:05:42Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] The reason it won’t work for some web pages is that they restrict how the display can be displayed. Basic HTML text size can be controlled by the person viewing the text, but other text is locked into a specific size. [/QUOTE] Isn’t there an issue with IE6 where fonts sizes are defined in pixels? I’ve a dim memory of this. Anyway, I’m pretty sure IE7 corrects this. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/9 "2006-12-02T23:15:01Z")
I use IE6 and if I click on Tools, Internet Options…, and Accessibility… on the General tab and put a check in the box by “Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages” then I can adjust the font size to suit. ---
**Author:** ![Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zany_Zeolite_Zipper)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/10 "2006-12-03T01:00:33Z")
Try selecting a bit of text then doing the scroll wheel thing. Incidentally, ctrl + also works. When you do ctrl scroll wheel, do the icons get larger/smaller? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/11 "2006-12-03T01:30:39Z")
[QUOTE=Thin Ice] I use IE6 and if I click on Tools, Internet Options…, and Accessibility… on the General tab and put a check in the box by “Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages” then I can adjust the font size to suit. [/QUOTE] And we have a winner! My aching eyes thank you muchly! ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/12 "2006-12-03T01:35:34Z")
[QUOTE=Zany Zeolite Zipper] Try selecting a bit of text then doing the scroll wheel thing. Incidentally, ctrl + also works. When you do ctrl scroll wheel, do the icons get larger/smaller? [/QUOTE] With the accessibility text size box checked, all the versions (view, control+, control+wheel) work fine. As for the icons, which? The emoticons don’t seem to change size, neither do the icons in the IE tool bars. ---
**Author:** ![Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zany_Zeolite_Zipper)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/13 "2006-12-03T02:48:04Z")
I’ve noticed that sometimes when you load the SD pages, and try to increase the size, only the “Fighting Ignorance”, the Post Replys, and the Online LEDs change size ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/14 "2006-12-03T03:37:32Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] Dang. That must be it. So…why do they do it? Are they out to drive away (getting on towards) Senior Citizens? Or is just overall control-freak-ishness? [/QUOTE] There are several ways to create text size in HTML, with most of them locking into a defined text size with a crappy browser such as IE. Ideally, if font size on a page uses percentages and/or ems, the text size will change according to browser preferences. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/15 "2006-12-03T03:48:20Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] Dang. That must be it. So…why do they do it? Are they out to drive away (getting on towards) Senior Citizens? Or is just overall control-freak-ishness? [/QUOTE] It’s lazy coding by the web page designer, who probably doesn’t even realize that it’s a problem. There are two ways to specify the size of text. The first, and most obvious, is to specify and exact font size. When they do this, your browser will do exactly as the page says and use that font size. The second way, and the correct one, is to tell the browser to use a size relative to the normal size. For example, they can tell the browser is use a size one bigger than the normal size. This lets you choose what the “normal” size is and have everything display properly and legibly. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/16 "2006-12-03T16:24:14Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] And we have a winner! My aching eyes thank you muchly! [/QUOTE] You’re welcome SBS. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/17 "2006-12-03T18:14:56Z")
Since the thread title is browser generic, Opra fan checking in. In Opera, the + and - characters zoom in and out unless you are in a text entry box. Seems to work fine on all web pages using default settings. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/18 "2006-12-03T22:19:14Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] At work my computer runs linux, and my browser is Mozilla. … Here at home I have WinXPHome, and use IE6.0. [/QUOTE] Now that your basic question has been answered, can I ask **why in the world** you would do this? Why not put Mozilla/Firefox on your home machine, and use the same browser all the time? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/19 "2006-12-04T01:40:54Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] And we have a winner! My aching eyes thank you muchly! [/QUOTE] OH MAN, I had the same problem. And I just switched over to Yahoo and the same option is available with their software. MAJOR improvement. Always wondered why some pages were locked out from scroll sizing. Didn’t know you could override it. Kudo’s to Thin Ice for the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622/20 "2006-12-04T02:00:48Z")
[QUOTE=t-bonham@scc.net] Now that your basic question has been answered, can I ask **why in the world** you would do this? Why not put Mozilla/Firefox on your home machine, and use the same browser all the time? [/QUOTE] Well, I tried Firefox a few years ago, and it seemed I was always having to fire up IE instead for some of the pages I visit all the time. So…I just went back to IE as being simpler. As for Mozilla, uh, I thought it was linux only. Maybe I should look into that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enlarging-text-size-in-browser-getting-old-alas/382622.md?page=2)