RE: Why reduce font size

> In about 1999, Mac browser vendors changed from 12px to 16px [1,2]. I
assume the problem, if there was one, has been solved.

While that tried to address the problem, it resulted in the default font in
all browsers being way too large for normal usage.
Thanks to standards I exclusively use font sizes specified as "x-small and
xx-small etc..." 
Why? I use this as it allows the users of ALL browsers (including IE) to
change the size of the font according to their wishes.

It's scary to note that some of those large organisations you highlighted
fix the font size (Apple at 12px) which does limit the accessibility to
their sites.

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: www-style-request@w3.org [mailto:www-style-request@w3.org] On Behalf
Of Susan Lesch
Sent: 28 February 2005 23:58
To: www-style@w3.org
Subject: Why reduce font size

Hello,

Do some Web designers prefer fonts too small to read in Firefox with my
preference, Baskerville 14 (Mac OS 10.3.8)? If I needed to call Opera,
Adobe, Microsoft or Netscape, I'd have to be very close to the screen to
read a phone number. Here are a few examples.

http://www.opera.com/company/about/
style sheet
http://www.opera.com/css/screen.css
body is 73%

http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/main.html
style sheet
http://www.adobe.com/ssi/css/mainnav.css
some fonts xx-small

http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/default.mspx
(sorry I gave up)
http://www.microsoft.com/
style sheet
http://www.microsoft.com/h/en-us/r/hp.css
(various, 70% and up)

http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp
style sheet
http://cdn-channels.netscape.com/browsers/i/download.css
"is faster....", languages are 11px

http://www.mozilla.org/foundation/
style sheet
http://www.mozilla.org/css/cavendish/content.css
body is small

http://www.apple.com/contact/
style sheet
http://www.apple.com/main/css/global.css
body is 12px

http://www.omnigroup.com/company/
style sheet
http://www.omnigroup.com/resources/global.css
body is 10pt
http://www.omnigroup.com/resources/2004.css
body is 12pt

http://www.w3.org/Consortium/
style sheets
http://www.w3.org/Guide/pubrules-style.css
http://www.w3.org/Consortium/about-style.css
(no size)

The good news is they all have style sheets. :-)

In about 1999, Mac browser vendors changed from 12px to 16px [1,2]. I
assume the problem, if there was one, has been solved. Or do you think
CSS usage is raising shipping and or user preference sizes again?

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/1998Dec/0030.html
[2] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/1998Dec/0052.html

Thank you.

Received on Tuesday, 1 March 2005 13:59:57 UTC