Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

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Hey Man
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Joined: December 24th, 2014, 7:09 am

Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

Greetings,

With the latest update, all my past emails have been reduced in font size. In addition, the font size that I compose in and send to myself as a test - does not keep the same font size when receiving the test email, but maintains this reduced font size from the update.

Can both issues be rectified with this new update. I see a few people wanting to revert to the previous version of TB, but I want to see if I can fix the font issue before I do that.

Thank you.

HM
Hey Man
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Joined: December 24th, 2014, 7:09 am

Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

I noticed that when I reply or forward my own email - it is the proper size in the composition, but once sent and in the viewing pane - the font is again reduced to this new reduced size.

I would really appreciate some help here as I am not the most computer savvy.

Also if I do have to revert back to the previous version of TB, is it automatic when I run the 52.91 exe? Could anything be lost going back to a previous version?

Thank you so much.
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BuddhaNature
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by BuddhaNature »

I had roughly the same problem you describe. To get some conceptual understanding of what is going on reading this should be helpful: Thunderbird Font Sizes

For a rough guide to equivalences between points and pixels see this: Points to Pixels Chart

Note that I solved my issues with Thunderbird by just reading and understanding those two documents. I did not use any .css code as part of the solution, nor did I install any add-on to attempt to deal with the problem. Just study the documents, understand the concepts, and you should manage to manually fix the issues you are experiencing.

Hope this helps.
OS: Windows 10 Pro. x64
Hey Man
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Joined: December 24th, 2014, 7:09 am

Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

BuddhaNature wrote:I had roughly the same problem you describe. To get some conceptual understanding of what is going on reading this should be helpful: Thunderbird Font Sizes

For a rough guide to equivalences between points and pixels see this: Points to Pixels Chart

Note that I solved my issues with Thunderbird by just reading and understanding those two documents. I did not use any .css code as part of the solution, nor did I install any add-on to attempt to deal with the problem. Just study the documents, understand the concepts, and you should manage to manually fix the issues you are experiencing.

Hope this helps.
Thanks for responding. It seems to be an issue for many with this update, so I guess I expected Thunderbird to do a fix or to make some sort of "statement" that they understand that there is a font size problem, but I will read the articles you posted.

As I mentioned, I am not the most computer savvy person, so I assume this fix you speak of isn't just a couple of clicks in the tools section.

Are your font issues fixed as if no update happened at all or is it still a little different, but more acceptable to you.

Thanks again,

HM
Hey Man
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

The article still suggests to download the Theme and Font Size add on as most people like me won't understand the coding. I have everything else set to the size it's always been prior to this update - Calibri at 20 and 20 in Display/Formatting/Advanced. I have had a bunch of TB updates and font size was never a problem until now.

Can you do a walkthrough of exactly what you did?

Thanks!
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BuddhaNature
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by BuddhaNature »

Hi HM,

The problems I had were, as best as I can tell, the same as you report. The problem was related to switching over to what folks are calling Thunderbird Quantum. The solution I found is as I have pointed to with the links I provide.

If you read the documents I point to the solution is pretty much just resetting some settings regarding font sizes but you need to understand how Thunderbird treats font sizes in different ways with respect to "Size of Fonts in Messages being displayed" and "Size and Consistency of Fonts when composing a message". I'm not the most computer savvy person myself, but with careful reading and some clicking and testing (don't worry you can't break anything, just make a note of the original setting before you change it and go back to that if you get stuck) I managed to get things fixed. Took me around half-hour of carefully thinking about what the document was saying - once I understood it it was very easy to fix from there on in.

And, yes, the solution just gave me back the font size behaviour that Thunderbird had before I did the update. No problems now.

P.S. I wouldn't place any reliance on the developers making some 'fix' in the future. When I hit this problem myself, and subsequently researching it, I did become apparent that this issue has existed for many, many years and has never been fixed. So no reason to assume that it will be now for Thunderbird Quantum.
OS: Windows 10 Pro. x64
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BuddhaNature
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by BuddhaNature »

Hi HM,

You need to understand that as far as messages goes, TB treats font sizes differently. In one part of TB settings the font size is expressed in "pixels" (not "points", which is what we are used to in text editors). In another part of TB font sizes are expressed as "Tiny" through to "Huge", I think this is to do with some kind of HTML specification, which I don't understand (and you don't need to either). You need to set these values separately but just enter correct sizes for your own preference.

Here are some computer diary notes I sent to friend when I managed to fix this problem:

==================================================

Found this blog post by someone very helpful on this issue: https://thunderbirdtweaks.blogspot.com/ ... sizes.html

The section there titled "Size of Fonts in Messages Being Displayed" speaks of the difference between font sizes given in 'points' and font sizes given in 'pixels'. So following his advice I went (Menu) Tools > Options > Display > Formatting (tab) > Fonts & Colours > Default Font and changed the font size I had set there from "11" to "15" and OK-ed the change. (Normally I like to type/write in Times New Roman 11 (point) so that was what I initially set in there, thinking I'd get what I'm used to.)

Then I started trying to type a message and things were working as I had them working in the past. Don't have to zoom in any more to see what I am typing. Yippee!

After having done that I then went (Menu) Tools > Options > Composition > General (tab) > HTML and had a think about what was presented there with respect to the font and the size. But also thinking about what the blogger said in the rest of his blog post. Then it dawned on me that TB treats display of messages (even one you are composing) as being a separate matter to the font size that will be used when sending an HTML message and or displaying a message. To me that seems convoluted but I dare say they know what they are trying to achieve. In any case I set the "Font" in those settings to "Times New Roman" and "Size" to "Medium" and that gave me what I was used to before TB Quantum.

Happy now this issue is fixed -- was driving me up the wall. Thanks again for your help in the beginning. I thought you might be interested in what the solution was, if I found one.

================================================

Read the document I point to, forget about add-ons. Just try and follow the steps I give in my notes above and you will get there. Do not be afraid to experiment with sizes - you can always set them back to the original sizes if you so wish. You are only talking about a few clicks with the mouse and entering a font size. It's no more complicated than that. Beyond that I can't say any more - just experiment and you will get it.
OS: Windows 10 Pro. x64
Hey Man
Posts: 50
Joined: December 24th, 2014, 7:09 am

Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

BuddhaNature wrote:Hi HM,

The problems I had were, as best as I can tell, the same as you report. The problem was related to switching over to what folks are calling Thunderbird Quantum. The solution I found is as I have pointed to with the links I provide.

If you read the documents I point to the solution is pretty much just resetting some settings regarding font sizes but you need to understand how Thunderbird treats font sizes in different ways with respect to "Size of Fonts in Messages being displayed" and "Size and Consistency of Fonts when composing a message". I'm not the most computer savvy person myself, but with careful reading and some clicking and testing (don't worry you can't break anything, just make a note of the original setting before you change it and go back to that if you get stuck) I managed to get things fixed. Took me around half-hour of carefully thinking about what the document was saying - once I understood it it was very easy to fix from there on in.

And, yes, the solution just gave me back the font size behaviour that Thunderbird had before I did the update. No problems now.

P.S. I wouldn't place any reliance on the developers making some 'fix' in the future. When I hit this problem myself, and subsequently researching it, I did become apparent that this issue has existed for many, many years and has never been fixed. So no reason to assume that it will be now for Thunderbird Quantum.
Thanks for the info.

To reiterate, when I compose a message - the font size is as it should be. Even with the text of the email that I am replying to. The text is only reduced in size across the board, when I receive an email - either from a test email or when someone sends an email to me. The font size is also reduced in the reading pane in all emails from the past (years ago that I still have) to today.

So for me, composing isn't an issue - it's maintaining that composing font size when sending, receiving and reading.

Since I am using Calibri at 20, if I go any higher - the font becomes bolded.

I already had the (Menu) Tools > Options > Composition > General (tab) > HTML set to Medium. So should I play around with that?

Thanks!
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BuddhaNature
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by BuddhaNature »

Hey Man wrote:I already had the (Menu) Tools > Options > Composition > General (tab) > HTML set to Medium. So should I play around with that?
I would say yes. Don't be afraid to experiment. It's what I did and achieved a fix.
OS: Windows 10 Pro. x64
Hey Man
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

BuddhaNature wrote:
Hey Man wrote:I already had the (Menu) Tools > Options > Composition > General (tab) > HTML set to Medium. So should I play around with that?
I would say yes. Don't be afraid to experiment. It's what I did and achieved a fix.
I think I figured it out, however it doesn't work when I respond to past emails that TB has reduced in font size per the update. It only works moving forward with new emails that I send and receive. Is that the same case with you?

So I guess there is no fix to actually make past emails the font size they used to be in the inbox/sent box. Again, this fix only applies to new emails?

THANKS!
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BuddhaNature
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by BuddhaNature »

Hey Man wrote:It only works moving forward with new emails that I send and receive. Is that the same case with you?
My old emails appear as they do when they were received/sent prior to TB Quantum. That said I didn't check them before I made my own settings to cure the problem I was experiencing on transfer to TB Quantum. Have you tried shutting down and relaunching TB now that you have settings adjusted to suit what you want?
Hey Man wrote:So I guess there is no fix to actually make past emails the font size they used to be in the inbox/sent box. Again, this fix only applies to new emails?
Can't comment - if that is what is happening in your TB I have no idea why that would be the case. Maybe someone with more expertise could chip in on that.
OS: Windows 10 Pro. x64
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BuddhaNature
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by BuddhaNature »

Hi Again Hey Man,

Woops! I just checked some of my old mail that I have and, yes, the font size looks smaller when displaying the old mail. Also if I reply to one of those old messages and test-send the reply to another email address then the text of the old message remains the same small size as it does in the original old email. However, the text size of the sentence I typed into the reply to the old mail does display correctly (in accord with my current settings). So it would seem that I am experiencing the same 'problem' you are.

Not a problem for me, but I do see what you're getting at.
OS: Windows 10 Pro. x64
Hey Man
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Joined: December 24th, 2014, 7:09 am

Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

BuddhaNature wrote:Hi Again Hey Man,

Woops! I just checked some of my old mail that I have and, yes, the font size looks smaller when displaying the old mail. Also if I reply to one of those old messages and test-send the reply to another email address then the text of the old message remains the same small size as it does in the original old email. However, the text size of the sentence I typed into the reply to the old mail does display correctly (in accord with my current settings). So it would seem that I am experiencing the same 'problem' you are.

Not a problem for me, but I do see what you're getting at.
I can live with it moving forward for now. Perhaps downloading the Font Size add on that has been suggested will fix this issue.

What I don't get is - why does TB launch a new version and not address glitches like this similar to updates done to any other program out there where there are monthly updates to fix past glitches, etc.
Hey Man
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Joined: December 24th, 2014, 7:09 am

Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by Hey Man »

BuddhaNature wrote:Hi Again Hey Man,

Woops! I just checked some of my old mail that I have and, yes, the font size looks smaller when displaying the old mail. Also if I reply to one of those old messages and test-send the reply to another email address then the text of the old message remains the same small size as it does in the original old email. However, the text size of the sentence I typed into the reply to the old mail does display correctly (in accord with my current settings). So it would seem that I am experiencing the same 'problem' you are.

Not a problem for me, but I do see what you're getting at.
I emailed someone new and they replied just now - their font size is still smaller, so it appears this fix isn't across the board even with new emails unless there is something else I should be clicking. I have Allow Other Fonts unchecked. Is there another way to make the received email font exactly the same as the compose email font that I was able to fix today?

Anything here that pops out at you as needing to be changed?

Image
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BuddhaNature
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Re: Please Help - Font Size Question With Update

Post by BuddhaNature »

Hey Man,

I don't myself know the answer to your problem with received old emails. All I know is how I managed to fix my own issues regarding font size.

For some clue on how you might proceed with the Fonts& Encoding settings see the "sfhowes" post here: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... #p14814816

I tried what he suggested there and it didn't seem to make any difference when I was doing the settings Fonts for: Latin.

However, then I tried doing the settings for Fonts for: Other Writing Systems that did make a clear and obvious difference - even to display of my old emails. I set the Minimum font size: to 17 and unchecked Allow messages to use other fonts. I also found out that if I checked (ticked) Allow messages to use other fonts the change in minimum font size to 17 still got applied.

So I would suggest experimenting with the Fonts for: Other Writing Systems settings and see if that works for you. Just experiment with it for a while but before you do keep a note of the original settings in case you want to get back to them.

Tomorrow I'm going to read this http://kb.mozillazine.org/Font_settings_in_Thunderbird and see if helps in understanding how font sizes are assigned in Thunderbird. As it stands I find it confusing too.
OS: Windows 10 Pro. x64
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