Safari, unusable

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The default font size for the Safari browser is 9 pt. I have it set to a more realistic 24 pt (yeah, I'm old!). Check out the screen shot at 24 pt. Some, not all, but on each page, the words are jumbled together. Let's not also point out that the tabs bar font size is microscopic and cannot be changed in Safari. I confirmed that with the guy at an Apple store. I use the Chrome browser, whitch resolved those issues.

Screen Shot 2013-09-26 at 1.03.46 PM.png
 

pigoo3

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I use the Chrome browser, whitch resolved those issues.

If using Chrome has resolved things...I'm assuming all is good.:)

- Nick
 
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So is it normal to have those jumbled words?
 
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instead of changing the font size, you should just zoom the browser by going to the menu and then View, then Zoom In/Out. changing font size can effect how the pages render on the screen if they have CSS or other styles enabled.
 

Raz0rEdge

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Realize that the websites are designed with a particular font in mind. Most, if not all, websites now use HTML and CSS with DIV, SPANs and so on to place their content. These are essentially boxes that contain data. If you start increasing the font size, the text is still bound by those boxes and what happens when you reach very large sizes depends on the site you are visiting and how the browser is going to deal with it..
 

pigoo3

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So is it normal to have those jumbled words?

Deckyon and Raz0rEdge beat me to both explanations/suggestions they made.

- "Zoom" the display instead of increasing the font size.

- browser web pages are not made to have their fonts increased in size radically (from 9 pt. to 24pt.). You can increase the font size a few sizes without too many issues. But going from 9 to 24 pt. is too much. Web pages are made of code...not really text like you would find in a word processing document which can be almost increased in size endlessly without spacing issues.

- Nick
 

chscag

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@dotdotdot

Safari is a stubborn browser in that it won't hold or remember large font sizes without overlapping or zooming (as recommended).

However, there is one more method of getting Safari to behave and show the large font sizes you want. And that is to create a *.css file and place it in your home folder. A css file is a "style sheet" that Safari will use. Follow along:

Create the style sheet with textedit: Here's mine which I named "defaultzoom.css"

body {
zoom: 145%;
}


(You can use any value for zoom that you're comfortable with.) Place the newly created style sheet file in your home folder.

Now, open Safari. Click on Preferences. Go to the Advanced tab. In the Style Sheet box put the name of your new Style Sheet you created. The next time you open Safari, it will zoom to the value you named.

Let me know if that works for you.
 
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chas_m

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To the OP and other people who don't use Safari: there are separate "zoom" and "zoom text only" commands available. On the rare occasion I need to use it, I find that "zoom text only" preserves the formatting pretty well in most places. It's not a panacea but it works well for many sites.

There is also a control in Safari's preferences to set a minimum font size; most sites again will respect this setting.

All that said, if you need fonts to be 24 point to read them and think that is just a function of age, please do have a chat with your eye doctor -- that isn't normal.
 

dtravis7


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I agree with Deckyon and Chas M. I normally use Chas's method in Safari. I have the zoom buttons in Safari's toolbar for quick usage.

There are sometimes when I first wake up I have to use Deckyon's zoom the whole screen to make out a pic or some small text. that passes in a few minutes! :D
 
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I use the zoom function in the Safari toolbar with no problems.
 
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OK, you guys do realize that the zoom function (under View) has to be reset for each page.That's insanity and no one is going to do that.
 
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Not to belabor the point, but here are the comparisons:

Left, Chrome. Right, Safari.

Screen Shot 2013-09-26 at 8.10.21 PM.png

Screen Shot 2013-09-26 at 8.13.52 PM.png
 

chscag

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If you try the style sheet I told you about, you won't have to reset Safari each time. Why don't you try it?
 

pigoo3

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If Chrome is working better for you...just keep using Chrome.:)

Certainly give chscag's suggestion a try as well. Seems like a pretty slick way of customizing things.:)

- Nick
 
M

MacInWin

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I put the zoom in/zoom out button on my Toolbar. A couple of clicks and I get what I want on each page, plus I get go see it change, so I can get to exactly what I want. It also zooms the images, so the pages stay in proportion to the text.

EDIT: The zoom of images is dependent on the website, but in any event even on sites where the images are fixed size I can stop when I see the font getting too big for any bounding box and avoid the overlap.
 
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If you try the style sheet I told you about, you won't have to reset Safari each time. Why don't you try it?

I may try it. However, the less I mess with the Mac the better. I don't need yet another incidence of 'user error.'
 

chscag

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C'mon, that's not being very confident in yourself.... I'm sure you're very capable of doing most anything. Anyway, it's really very easy to do. If I did it, anyone can. ;)
 
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If you don't want to go to the menu for every page, and if you're hesitant about trying chscag's hardcore (but cool) solution, just double tap your mouse or trackpad (with two fingers) and it zooms in. Takes a little practice, but it's quick and works like a charm.
 
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If you don't want to go to the menu for every page, and if you're hesitant about trying chscag's hardcore (but cool) solution, just double tap your mouse or trackpad (with two fingers) and it zooms in. Takes a little practice, but it's quick and works like a charm.

Wow, excellent suggestion! In tried it. I liked it. I think I could live with that.
 
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chas_m

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Great!

Nobody here was suggesting you were doing something wrong by not using Safari. Use whatever you like. But it's always a good idea to know how it can be done in Apple's default tools, since Chrome might not always be there for you. That's all.
 

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