# Fonts messed up on IE **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458 "2005-07-14T02:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freakstasy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@freakstasy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freakstasy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/1 "2005-07-14T02:51:11Z")
On Internet Explorer the fonts are always enlarged and where there is usually a background color to the fonts (as in a frame) is now just white. Even though I don’t use IE, the problem still carries over to Help windows and to AOL, which uses the browser. It’s really become an eyesore. Here’s an [example](http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/979/untitled18jn.jpg) of what I’m talking about – the top image is from IE, the bottom is the same image seen on Firefox. The settings on IE are on default, the font size is medium, nothing has changed there. I have played around in the past with the Windows Accessibility feature (Accessories/Accessibility/Accessibility Wizard) and suspect that this contributed to this problem. But even this is set to the default text size. Any help on how to fix this? ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/2 "2005-07-14T04:32:02Z")
You should check under Tools \> General \>Accessibility \> and make sure that Ignore Font Sizes on Web Pages \*\*is not \*\* checked. Your image is how it looks when I increase the font size in IE. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2005, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/3 "2005-07-14T08:41:00Z")
When did this start happening? ---
**Author:** ![freakstasy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@freakstasy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freakstasy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/4 "2005-07-15T02:04:59Z")
> [@Toddly](#): > > You should check under Tools \> General \>Accessibility \> and make sure that Ignore Font Sizes on Web Pages \*\*is not \*\* checked. Your image is how it looks when I increase the font size in IE. Already unchecked. > [@Mangetout](#): > > When did this start happening? Two or three months ago. Now I’m thinking MS Outlook may be affected as well or have something to do with it. When I compose an e-mail, the fonts are bigger than usual, for instance Times New Roman 12 pt appears the way Times New Roman 14 pt does in most programs. ---
**Author:** ![freakstasy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@freakstasy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freakstasy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/5 "2005-07-15T02:26:10Z")
The first picture I posted demonstrates the differences in font sizes, but not necessarily the variation in color. [Here](http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7199/ffie7ha.jpg) is a better example. [Another horrid-looking example](http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3152/iefark6dm.jpg). This time it doesn’t need to be placed beside anything for anyone to understand that it’s not what the Web site designers intended. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/6 "2005-07-15T08:56:52Z")
> [@freakstasy](#): > > Already unchecked. > > Two or three months ago. > > Now I’m thinking MS Outlook may be affected as well or have something to do with it. When I compose an e-mail, the fonts are bigger than usual, for instance Times New Roman 12 pt appears the way Times New Roman 14 pt does in most programs. What about the other boxes in that dialog? Nothing should be checked. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/7 "2005-07-15T08:59:36Z")
Also, in Start -\> Control Panel -\> Accessibility Options -\> Display, make sure “Use High Contrast” is unchecked. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/8 "2005-07-15T09:13:03Z")
I’m sure it really can’t be this simple, but… what happens in your browser when you hold down the \ key and move your mouse wheel (assuming you have one). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/9 "2005-07-15T09:16:13Z")
Actually, when I do the \mouse wheel thing on this page, very little changes; but this text will. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/10 "2005-07-15T09:20:01Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m sure it really can’t be this simple, but… what happens in your browser when you hold down the \ key and move your mouse wheel (assuming you have one). If you don’t, the + and - keys will have the same effect. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/11 "2005-07-15T10:12:55Z")
Or as a last resort, the View\>Text Size menu. Back in IE5, there was a known issue where Outlook caused the default text size in IE to keep reverting to ‘large’ or something - I have seen it in IE6 too, despite it being officially only a problem with v5. [http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=242984](http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=242984) ---
**Author:** ![freakstasy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@freakstasy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freakstasy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2005, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fonts-messed-up-on-ie/312458/12 "2005-07-15T11:02:42Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Also, in Start -\> Control Panel -\> Accessibility Options -\> Display, make sure “Use High Contrast” is unchecked. Problem solved. :smack: Wow. During the time that this “High Contrast” featured was enabled (which was several months) I upgraded to Microsoft Office 03. I had wondered why the new version looked very plain, but no more… now the there is actually color to it, shadowed buttons, etc. Word, Excel, Outlook, it all looks great! The fonts are the appropriate size as well. Thanks very much for all the suggestions from **Toddly** , **Mangetout** , **Tengu** , and of course **Reply**.