Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

User Help for Mozilla Thunderbird
smislt
Posts: 56
Joined: July 8th, 2015, 5:34 pm
Location: USA

Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by smislt »

I have Thunderbird Thunderbird 52.5.2 (32-bit). The Theme and Font Changer stopped working. I'm a senior citizen and I'm have a lot of trouble seeing the tiny font. Can someone please help? Thanks!
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by tanstaafl »

I tried the latest version from https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... er-for-tb/ and could not see the menu in tools or the icon on the status bar. Same problem with the latest beta and nightly build.

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bad_Eyesight_-_Thunderbird for some other options. Your best bet might be to install the Stylish add-on from the "This add-on requires the following add-ons to work properly:" link in https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunde ... src=search and then find a useful style at https://userstyles.org/styles/browse?se ... hunderbird

Alternatively see the Global UI font section in http://kb.mozillazine.org/Pane_and_menu_fonts. I added the following userChrome.css file to the chrome directory in the profile and it worked. However, it also effects the folder pane and folder listing. If you want to only effect the menu see other sections in that KB article.

@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gateke ... s.only.xul");

/* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Pane_and_menu_fonts */
/* Global UI font - the leading '*' is not a typo*/
* { font-size: 16pt !important;
font-family: Century SchoolBook !important;
}
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by tanstaafl »

See http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... &t=3037105 for a related thread. One post points to http://www.rossde.com/ThemeFontSizeChan ... index.html which claims the add-on had a automatic expiration, and has a download link for a modified version that removed that "feature". I tried the modified add-on and it works.

Note that you are supposed to delete any older version of the add-on beforehand and you need to disable automatic updates for that add-on (in its options) or it may update to the expired version on the add-ons web site..
smislt
Posts: 56
Joined: July 8th, 2015, 5:34 pm
Location: USA

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by smislt »

Hi! Thanks for helping me. I'm trying to download the http://www.rossde.com/ThemeFontSizeChan ... index.html I click the link "Get it Here" and File Explorer Opens showing the .xpi file. At that point I'm not sure what to do. The instructions say "To download it, right-click on that link and select "Save Link Target As" from the pull-down context menu." I don't know what the means. I clicked Save, but I can't open it. I'm not too savvy with computers. Do you have an easy to understand suggestion for me to install this? BTW, why does Thunderbird force you to use tiny font? Thanks!
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by tanstaafl »

Right clicking on a link means select the link and then click on the right mouse button. It sounds like that is working, but you are getting a different menu in the window that pops up. The exact wording of the menu varies depending upon what browser you use. In recent versions of Firefox, Vivaldi and Chrome browsers its "Save link as". In Microsoft Edge I can't find an equivalent, just "Save target As" (which saves the web page containing the link, NOT what the link points to).

What browser are you using? Perhaps you need to use a different browser.

I don't know why Thunderbird defaults to a small font for the menus/toolbars. Perhaps its hard coded for a value that made sense when screens were much lower in resolution.
richchad
Posts: 37
Joined: May 13th, 2013, 9:06 am

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by richchad »

I too have the same problem, managed to save the xpi file to my desktop but not sure what to do with it now, trying to open it just asks what to open with...
I am using Firefox browser with Windows 10.
How do I install this as an extension in Thunderbird?
User avatar
tanstaafl
Moderator
Posts: 49647
Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by tanstaafl »

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_folders . Its a gives a detailed example of how to install an add-on.
richchad
Posts: 37
Joined: May 13th, 2013, 9:06 am

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by richchad »

Thanks tanstaafl, installed addon okay, all good now. :D
smislt
Posts: 56
Joined: July 8th, 2015, 5:34 pm
Location: USA

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by smislt »

It worked! =D> That article was very helpful! :) Thank you VERY much for the help!! :D One crazy thing did happen with the new Theme Font & Size Changer. When I clicked the up arrow to increase font size, the font kept getting bigger and bigger by itself. :-k I had to stop it and put the font size in manually. Anyone have that issue?
User avatar
Flycaster
Posts: 1164
Joined: November 19th, 2008, 12:13 pm
Location: Boynton Beach, FL

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by Flycaster »

When trying to install the Theme Font & Size Changer (No Expire,) from its site by just selecting it, I got an error message from Thunderbird saying it was a corrupt file and con't be installed. I then dl'd the xpi file and loaded it into my add-ons. However, Options had nothing to do with changing the font. There were three buttons listed under Preferences having to do with hiding tools and app menus options and abbreviating toolbar button text, but nothing to do with changing font size???
Windows 11, FF Latest, Edge v94, Thunderbird Latest, Defender
Bobbert
Posts: 285
Joined: March 21st, 2005, 12:17 pm
Location: Waterloo, Ontario

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by Bobbert »

My eyes too have seen too many B-days and i'm squinting to read the text in TB. I tried following the instructions in this thread to install a working copy, but obviously i'm doing something wrong.
I turned off the automatic update for this add-on and deleted it. I then tried to install what i was hoping was a working copy of this add-on in TB by selecting TOOLS, GET ADD-ONS. The one that i tried installing said it was for TB 62. Is this the right one?
HELP!
Rob
richchad
Posts: 37
Joined: May 13th, 2013, 9:06 am

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by richchad »

Bobbert I think you might be adding the wrong addon.

You need to follow instructions above, download file from this webpage http://www.rossde.com/ThemeFontSizeChan ... index.html by right clicking the "Get it Here" link and selecting save link as then choose where to save it.

When saved go Thunderbird select addons, click on little gear symbol next to search bar, select "Install add-on from file" go to where you saved the downloaded file and it should install it.
When added, click more under the addon and select Automatic updates to Off.

This worked for me thanks to the posters above. :D
smislt
Posts: 56
Joined: July 8th, 2015, 5:34 pm
Location: USA

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by smislt »

richchad, Did you have any problem with it going crazy when you clicked the up arrow to increase font size like I did??
richchad
Posts: 37
Joined: May 13th, 2013, 9:06 am

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by richchad »

smislt wrote:richchad, Did you have any problem with it going crazy when you clicked the up arrow to increase font size like I did??
No, it just jumped by .5 each time I clicked arrows.
Bobbert
Posts: 285
Joined: March 21st, 2005, 12:17 pm
Location: Waterloo, Ontario

Re: Font Too Small/Theme and Font Changer stopped working

Post by Bobbert »

Thanks Richchad, this appears to have worked for me as well.
Rob
Post Reply