Font Size Changes Do Not Stick

Applies to: Navigator 2.02 and earlier
Operating Systems: Windows 3.x

Problem Symptoms: Unable to Save Font Changes if Using Windows Large Fonts

Solution:

Notes from JPO...

"I think the font size problem is limited to folks who use "large fonts" in their Windows video driver choice, I use "small fonts" and everything works fine. Gary Durfee confirms this below."

"This week I installed Netscape 2.02 (never used 2.01) and was surprised to discover that now when I select a font size, IT STICKS! YA!

I'm not sure if when I select 16pt I really get 16pt, it still seems a little small. However, at least when I go back to the font selection menu, it is still set at 16 and hasn't dropped 2-4 points. I don't really care what the numbers are, I can always go higher until I get the size that's easy on my eyes. Now its less confusing to drop point sizes to print, then go back to a larger size for screen reading."

A good discussion from Gary Durfee follows here for earlier Navigators

I have the following:

a) GW2000 4DX2-66V, ATI Mach32 Video, WFW3.11, Dos 6.0, Netscape 2.0, SVGA 1024X768 w/256 colors, Large Fonts, True type fonts enabled

b) GW2000 P5-133, Matrox Millenium Video, WFW3.11, Dos 6.22, Netscape 2.0, SVGA 1024X768 w/256 colors, Large Fonts, True type fonts enabled The problem is that I'm just not able to set the font POINT SIZE correctly. In Netscape, when I select - Options, General-Preferences, Fonts - I'm offered a screen to change the Encoding, Proportional Font, and Fixed Font. I generally stay with the default Latin1 for encoding (although I've tried other encodings with the same results). Now I select "Choose Font", for either the Proportional or Fixed font, and elect to change the point size and I get the following result:

Selected Point Size	Resulting Point Size
11	8
12	10
14	11
16	13
16	13
18	14

This is with the default "Times New Roman" or "Courier New" (or any other type, I've tried several) fonts. Also, if I just select "Choose Font" to look at the setting, then select OK (rather than Cancel), the resulting font is reduced as above, although I've made no actual change. It just seems that I'm always getting a point size 3 or more points less than the one selected. I've only mentioned points sizes 11 to 18 here, but I get the same result for larger or smaller fonts (i.e., always get a smaller font that what I selected).

--- after JPO suggested comparing large/small fonts ----

I went back and on system "a", set the fonts to "small" with the ATI Mach32 utility. Now, as you suggested, the Netscape font point sizes DO "stick" as selected via the Netscape selection process. System "b" is at home, so I won't be able to try it tonight....but I assume the results will be the same.

So, now I know what to do.....either I can easily read my WFW3.11 icons and have minor problems with the Netscape font selection, or I can have difficult-to-read WFW3.11 icon/window fonts and no problems with Netscape font selection [sigh]. Nothing's ever easy, is it? I still think Netscape is missing something on this.....I don't seem to have problems with other apps.

--- and a further report ...thanks Gary ---

A further update on the Netscape2.0 font size problem. I have now tried changing to "small" fonts on my home system, "b" below:

a) GW2000 4DX2-66V, ATI Mach32 Video, WFW3.11, Dos 6.0, Netscape 2.0, SVGA 1024X768 w/256 colors, Large Fonts, True type fonts enable

b) GW2000 P5-133, Matrox Millennium Video, WFW3.11, Dos 6.22, Netscape 2.0, SVGA 1024X768 w/256 colors, Large Fonts, True type fonts enabled by going into the Millennium's MGA desktop-control-panel, and changing the video "setup" from LARGE fronts to SMALL fonts. And as expected,Netscape fonts size selection will now STICK on the size selected. One other note, both my systems have the following lines in the windows system.ini file under the [boot] entry:

Large Fonts Selected	SMALL Fonts Selected
oemfonts.fon=8514oem.fon	vgaoem.fon
fixedfon.fon-8514fix.fon	vgafix.fon
fonts.fon=8514sys.fon	vgasys.fon

Note that these three font entries in the system.ini file change depending upon the LARGE or SMALL selection made with the Video desktops. On both my systems you must reboot windows after making this change (in order for the new fonts to take effect). You can also manually edit the system.ini, change these fonts as above, and reboot windows with the same result. With SMALL fonts (i.e., the vga*.fon fonts), the Netscape font size WILL stick... but of course, in 1024X768 resolutions the windows fonts are now small. However, although the font size will stick, I'm still not sure if the size selected size is the actual font size obtained (it may be, I just havn't studied the results much). I will say that reducing the font size selection decreases the size of the resulting font, increasing the font size results in a larger displayed font. Perhaps this information will be of use to others. At least there is now a way to test the problem. I don't use Win95, so I don't know if it uses a similar font listing in an initialization file. Again, thanks for your help on this, and your FAQ.

Gary Durfee

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