Computer  Technology > Vision Comfort > Eyecare > Monitor Settings > *Web Browser Settings*

Adjust Web Browser Software Display Settings

Bruce R. Thomas, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty, American River College, 25aug2004.

Internet users can take control of the text size and many other characteristics to make web pages more comfortable to read. Text on web pages is designed in various sizes for various reasons, but most modern web browser softwares will allow each user to easily change the text to a custom size for easier reading. With a little more effort users can also change many other page style characteristics (e.g. change colors for better contrast).
  1. Text size adjustment in web browser software.
  2. Browser settings to override web page styles.
  3. Use your own style sheet to override web page styles.

1. Text size adjustment in web browser software.

(top, down) Internet users can adjust text size for more comfortable reading and/or to fit more text on a single screen without scrolling. Most modern web browser softwares enable this adjustment to be made quickly and easily on any page currently displayed in your browser. 

  1. PC computers.
    1. Internet Explorer ver 6. View menu - Text size - choose Largest, Large, Medium, Smaller, or Smallest.
    2. Mozilla ver 1.7a. View menu - Text zoom - Larger, Smaller, etc.
    3. Mozilla Firefox ver 0.9. View menu - Increase text size or Decrease text size.
    4. Netscape Navigator ver 7.1. View menu - Text zoom - Larger, Smaller, etc.
    5. Opera ver 7.54. Click on View menu - Zoom.
  2. Macintosh computers.
    1. Internet Explorer ver 5.2. View menu - Text zoom - 300% to 50%.
    2. Netscape Navigator ver 7.1. View menu - Text zoom - Larger, Smaller, etc.
    3. Safari ver 1.2.2. View menu - Make text bigger or Make text smaller.

2. Browser settings to override web page styles.

(top, down) You can also set your web browser software to use your style settings in preference to those set by the web page authors for all web pages that you view. Imposing your choices of  fonts and font sizes may make many web pages easier for you to read. Likewise, imposing your color choices may provide the contrast needed to allow you to read pages more comfortably. A limited number of style choices are available, but this method will quickly and easily impose your viewing preferences on all web pages that you view. 

  1. PC computers.
    1. Internet Explorer ver 6. Tools menu - Internet options - Fonts Button and Colors Button. These settings work only on pages where fonts or colors were not specified by the page author (i.e. with this software user settings cannot be imposed over author settings - consider using another web browser software)
    2. Mozilla ver 1.7a. Edit menu - Preferences - Appearance - Fonts. UNcheck "allow documents to use other fonts" if you want your font choices to be imposed on all web pages that you view. Preferences - Appearance - Colors - Click on radio button "Use my chosen colors" to impose your color scheme.
    3. Mozilla Firefox ver 0.9. Tools menu - Options - General - Click on Fonts & Colors. Check the boxes to "Always use my fonts and colors."
  2. Macintosh computers.
    1. Internet Explorer ver 5.2. Explorer menu - Preferences - Languages/Fonts - Set fonts and size.
    2. Netscape Navigator ver 7.1. Netscape menu - Preferences - Appearance - Fonts and Colors. UNcheck "allow documents to use other fonts" to impose user selected fonts. .
    3. Safari ver 1.2.2. Safari menu - Preferences - Appearance - Fonts.

3. Use your own style sheet to override web page styles.

(top, down) You can use your own cascading style sheet to control fonts, colors and other styles on web pages. Your web browser software will allow you to impose your style sheet in preference to the page author's style sheet. This will provide more styles options than when you use method 2 above.

The TechDis User Style Sheet Wizard "is a simple 'wizard tool' to create a User Style Sheet. These can be extremely useful for students with visual impairments, scotopic senstivity or visual processing difficulties such as some forms of dyslexia." 

  1. PC computers.
    1. Internet Explorer ver 6. (User style sheets are not enabled - consider using another web browser software.)
    2. Mozilla Firefox ver 0.9. Tools menu - Web Developer - CSS - Add user style sheet
    3. Mozilla ver 1.7a. Tools menu - Web Developer - CSS - Add user style sheet
  2. Macintosh computers.
    1. Internet Explorer ver 5.2. Explorer menu - Preferences - Web Content - Show stylesheets, use my stylesheet, page specify fonts, page specify colors.
    2. Netscape Navigator ver 7.1. (User style sheets are not enabled - consider using another web browser software.)
    3. Safari ver 1.2.2. Safari menu - Preferences - Advanced - Style sheet.

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© Copyright 2004, Bruce R. Thomas, all rights reserved.