Text size approach

[Jane Here]

On my site I have used text (not graphics for text). It looks good at medium
and below, but looks a little odd on Larger sizes. Is there a way to detect
what text size a visitor is using, and give her a notice if they have it set
to Larger or Largest?

Any other suggestions about this? What is the best approach?

 

[Ronx]

In my opinion, the best approach is to design your site so that it looks
good at medium, smaller and larger settings, and is at least acceptable at
the extremes.

Users change font settings so that they read the text at a comfortable size.
The change may be because they have poor eyesight, or because they are using
a 14inch screen at 1600x1200 resolution. The designer has to cater for
that.

But, on a lighter note (for you, anyway) take a look at
www.rxs-enterprises.com and resize the text in IE, then check it again in
Firefox or Mozilla or Netscape...

Ron

 

[Mark Fitzpatrick]

No, there is no way to detect the browser's settings for these things.
However, you are not alone in the fact that most sites tend to look a little
odd when using Larger or Largest sizes. Users who have set their browser's
text size to this are usually doing it more for readability and not
aesthetics and are used to the fact that sites look odd at this size.

Hope this helps,
Mark Fitzpatrick
Microsoft MVP - FrontPage

 

[Guy Lapierre]

You can force the font size by using styles but that takes away the ability
of the user to set their text size preference. It is a catch 22.

 

[Murray]

No, you can't do this. You cannot use CSS to prevent text from being
resized.

 

[Bob Lehmann]

In IE you can, using px or pt. Among other things css related, IE is broken
as far as accessibility is concerned

Bob Lehmann

 

[Ronx]

In IE, as in other browsers, users can substitute their own style sheets,
thus setting all fonts to suit the users.

Ron

 

[Craig Schiller]

Bob -

IE or not, this won't stop the page being resized if the user does a
control-middle button scroll, will it?

Craig

 

[Guy Lapierre]

I do it all the time within individual table cells and no matter what you do
with the font size in IE it doesn't change.

 

[Thomas A. Rowe]

And if the user can't read the text they just move on to another site where they can adjust the text
to a size they can read.

--
==============================================
Thomas A. Rowe (Microsoft MVP - FrontPage)
WEBMASTER Resources(tm)

FrontPage Resources, WebCircle, MS KB Quick Links, etc.
==============================================

 

[Murray]

Bob:

Just do TOOLS | Internet Options > Accessability > Ignore font sizes
specified on Web pages.

As I said, you cannot prevent people from resizing your text by using CSS
(or anything for that matter, other than images).

 

[Craig Schiller]

Could we see a sample URL, please?

I do it all the time within individual table cells and no matter what you do
with the font size in IE it doesn't change.

 

[Bob Lehmann]

True, but how many users know how, or if, they can do that, and will go
actually go to the trouble of doing it if they do know how?

Bob Lehmann

 

[Bob Lehmann]

Apparently it does stop it. I just tried it with no resize.

Bob Lehmann

 

[Bob Lehmann]

OK, maybe I shouldn't have presented it as an absolute. But as I replied to
Ronx, I doubt many users can, will, or know how to make that adjustment.

Bob Lehmann

 

[Murray]

Bob:

Those who need it know how to do it. The bottom line is this - it is
impossible to stop this from happening. And, by the way, you don't need to
do anything to resize such text in Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox, Safari,
IE5x/Mac, Opera, or any other modern browser. It's just not possible to
prevent.

 

[Bob Lehmann]

Those who need it know how to do it. The bottom line is this - it is
impossible to stop this from happening.
As I said "maybe I shouldn't have presented it as an absolute.".
Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox, Safari, IE5x/Mac, Opera, or any other modern
browser.

I know. That's one of the reasons why IE is no longer my default browser. I
now consider IE to be the browser that requires kludges and work-arounds.

Bob Lehmann

 

[Chris Leeds, MVP-FrontPage]

firefox?

--
Chris Leeds,
Microsoft MVP-FrontPage

Please feel free to contact me here:
http://nedp.net/contact/
--

 

[Bob Lehmann]

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

A browser - pure & simple. No gadgets, extensions. mail client, web
authoring tools or other unwanted fluff - Unless you want them, of course.
And, < 5MB download.

Bob Lehmann

 

[Jane Here]

Thanks for all replies. I'll go with looks good at medium, and looks a
little strange at largest.