I need to increase font sizes for the UIs of some applications

from Stardock Forums

Hello:

Long-time user here of Fences. 

I am looking for a tool that will reliably enlarge the font sizes of the User Interface of selected applications on a high res LED monitor running at native resolution.

I'm running Windows 11 on two computers and Windows 10 on one computer (only until I figure out how to upgrade to Win 11 without a TPM).

Here's the problem:  Today's high resolution monitors are really causing me a lot of trouble when it comes to working with software.  My current main monitor is 32" and is set to 2560 X 1440, resulting in very small text.  Office software and web browsers let me use CTRL/+ to enlarge the fonts quickly and easily, so typing in forums or documents is not usually a big hassle. 

But when it comes to the UI of many games, Windows' own File Manager, System Updates dialogs, and the application UIs of many software programs such as Affinity Photo 2, I struggle on my big 32" monitor to be able to read the tiny text size of the dropdown menus, dialog value boxes, and more.  Even hitting the hotspots of on-screen faders, rotary knobs, scroll bars, and data entry wheels is more difficult because everything on the screen is smaller.

Some software allows customizations, such as the very popular Blender.  DigiKam is another.  Even with a lot fewer options, DigiKam seems to help me see what I'm doing a lot better than other products without such settings available.

This is a vision issue, but before anybody suggests (even in jest) that I go to the eye doctor, I'll say that it's not due to this user's fault or negligence for not having his vision checked and corrected.  This is a high-res monitor issue.  I have tried other alternatives, such as using secondary monitors set to lower resolutions, but this makes those monitors fuzzy and blurry.  Additionally, setting Windows' text % value has inconsistent results too.  Some applications end up with huge icons, or the geometries within those applications end up being unworkable.  For example, in a CAD drawing package, a photo editing package, or a 3D modelling title.  I have even tried a special prescription of computer glasses; all to no avail.

----------------------

Sorry for all the above TLDR, but here's my question:  Can Windowblinds (or another Object Desktop product) solve my issues?  Or am I hoping for the impossible here?

I'm looking for an average font size increase of 3 to 7 point-sizes.  If something is set to 12 (internally in Windows or in that app's settings), it will probably look like 7 or 8 to my eyes on my 32" high-res monitor.  In that case, I'd need to bump it up to 12 or 14.

Can Windowblinds help in this area?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

windowblinds
13,715 views 20 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. But, have you tried increasing the Windows Scale? This setting should change everything from UI text to UI sizes. Screenshot below from Windows 10. Its under "Setting->Display". Windows 11 should have similar feature.

Thank you.
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 1

dialog
End of basj's quote

Hi Basj.  Yes, I've tried that setting.  That's the setting that can make icons and their titles unreadable.  It also needs to be set back to 100% for some software or games.  It can be a real hassle when you open an application and wait for it to go through all of its gyrations (like loading plugins, going through multiple loading splash screens, and so forth), only to see that you forgot to set that parameter back to 100%.  Or up to 125%.  Correcting it can sometimes require that you stop and restart a program.

And this is why I'm asking about Windowblinds, because I think I read that Windowblinds will allow per-app settings, and not just force you only into a system-wide configuration.

Edit:  for some reason, the forum software didn't quote your post.  I don't know why.

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Maybe I should ask another question too.

Since a new "subscription" for Object Desktop is quite inexpensive, maybe I should just go ahead and do it, and try out Windowblinds anyhow.  By doing that, I could still combine the strengths of Windowblinds, Start 11, and Fences.  I use Fences, though I think it's Fences 2.  Yeah, it has been that long.

My thinking here is that maybe my solution won't come only from one "magic pill" thing.  Setting resolutions hasn't helped.  Setting text hasn't helped.  Getting special computer glasses hasn't helped.  Adjusting my seating hasn't helped.

But maybe the answer (for me at least) will be to do a combination of several or all of those things, PLUS using Windowblinds?  What do you all think?

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

That is strange, from what I know the setting never make "icons and their title unreadable" sometimes it does come out disoriented, but just restart Explorer.exe would resolve the issue right away.

As for your question on Windowblinds, I don't think you can do selective text changing for specific application.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

On the Windowblinds 11 screen:

Per application skinning

 

Choose skins for each of your application types. Make your word processing software stand out from your design programs by giving each one a unique look with a different skin or color scheme. Exclude applications from WindowBlinds or choose other compatibility settings to fit your style.

But yes, it doesn't specifically mention text in that.

 

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Yes, user can have different skin applied to different application, but, I don't think you can set specific application with specific text size.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 6

Yes, user can have different skin applied to different application, but, I don't think you can set specific application with specific text size.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant
End of basj's quote

Okay, that's good to know.  So then it's still a "system wide" text setting via Windowblinds, yes?

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Not sure if Windowblinds can change all system fonts. Some might be hard coded by Windows. It best if you do the 30 days trial on Windowblinds and see if it can help you.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

There is an alternative solution is that you altered specific skin font size to suit your need. This is doable by editing each skin file (.uis and .sss),then reapplied. In this way you not change font size in all system,but specific areas and skins. 

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Gaspershooters, reply 9

There is an alternative solution is that you altered specific skin font size to suit your need. This is doable by editing each skin file (.uis and .sss),then reapplied. In this way you not change font size in all system,but specific areas and skins. 
End of Gaspershooters's quote

Oh wow, if I can do this it might just help me get to an 80% solution.  I've been dealing with these issues since about 2004, so an 80% solution would not be a 20% failure.

I will try your suggestion and will come back here with my results.

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting basj, reply 8

Not sure if Windowblinds can change all system fonts. Some might be hard coded by Windows. It best if you do the 30 days trial on Windowblinds and see if it can help you.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant
End of basj's quote

Thanks again for all your efforts.  I'm going to try Gaspers' possible solution.

I know it won't affect all application windows.  But maybe it can get me partway there.  It could end up requiring fewer other changes such as resolution and scaling, and maybe help me avoid having to keep changing my settings back and forth.  That's the annoying thing.

I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Okay, I have a status.

I went ahead and restarted my old subscription for Object Desktop, then I downloaded and installed OD.  Then I grabbed the new versions of Fences, Windowblinds, and Start 11.  Yeah, for this machine I still like the old start menu motif and layout.

With Windowblinds installed, I looked and looked, but couldn't find anything that would increase the text sizes. 

However!  I may have stumbled upon something helpful.

By poking and poking and poking around, I came upon a new setting for text size.  Well, it's new to me: 

Windows Settings/Accessibility/Text Size <-- This is a slider.  When I found it, it was set to 157%, but the font sizes were very small for that to be correct on my system.  So I grabbed the slider and moved it (yes) smaller...down to 150%.  And guess what, the font sizes GOT BIGGER in several places, such as my Firefox tabs (the text on the tabs themselves, not necessarily the text on the pages represented by the tabs), a couple of open Windows File Explorer instances, plus an XYPlorer instance that I had also had open.  And the text showing up on my Windows settings dialog box too.

I opened Affinity Photo 2 and went into the help dialog, which I know is too small from before.  No improvement there, so this is still a struggle.

It's unfortunate that Windowblinds doesn't let me change any UI font sizes, but there seems to be SOME improvement from the accessibility change I made.  I'll need to use it for some days to see if it really will be workable.  And at least in Affinity Photo, it doesn't help at all. 

Other issues (and maybe more) remain. 

1.  When using Firefox to access a YouTube live-stream, there's an ad that pushes the chat window too low in the browser window to be able to type freely without having to zoom-out that window to be able to read the content of the chat.  And the amount of zoom-out that's needed is so much that it will make the chat hard to read. So no improvement here either.

I have in the past used Adblock Pro to knock out that ad and make the chat function easier to use with a larger text size, but Google likes to keep hitting me with warnings about how adblockers violate their terms of service.

2.  The text beneath my icons as they appear in Fences, now underlap the icon below.  It's minor, but still annoying. 

3.  I can't find either skin file (.uis and .sss) anywhere, so I don't know how I could make that adjustment noted above by Gaspershooters.  I'll keep looking.

 

So the TLDR is that I have some minor improvement, but more work is needed.

 

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting BIF, reply 12

When I found it, it was set to 157%
End of BIF's quote
That's actually something I have seen several times in Windows 7 & 10. When setting the scaling to anything "unusual" like 157%, 122% etc., anything can happen to the font sizes. Windows only seem to scale correctly at 100%, 125%, 150%, 175% and so on. Anything else, and you may not get the result you want.

Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top

If it's one windowblind skin in particular you are trying to modify, give me a link to it (preferably) if you can or the name and creator and I'll try to see if I can figure out what you are looking for.

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting BIF, reply 12

The text beneath my icons as they appear in Fences, now underlap the icon below. It's minor, but still annoying.
End of BIF's quote

This issue, I believe you can adjust by changing icons space metric. Refer here: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/desktop-icon-spacing/89acd4b9-7fec-47be-939b-35b26b807d5f.  Also, I believe there is an app that help you adjust that.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting BIF, reply 10

Oh wow, if I can do this it might just help me get to an 80% solution.  I've been dealing with these issues since about 2004, so an 80% solution would not be a 20% failure.

I will try your suggestion and will come back here with my results.
End of BIF's quote

Just remembered since Win10 and upwards,Windowblinds cannot 100% take over all GUI,so there is compromise have to make. 

 

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Jan, reply 13


Quoting BIF,
reply 12

When I found it, it was set to 157%

That's actually something I have seen several times in Windows 7 & 10. When setting the scaling to anything "unusual" like 157%, 122% etc., anything can happen to the font sizes. Windows only seem to scale correctly at 100%, 125%, 150%, 175% and so on. Anything else, and you may not get the result you want.

End of Jan's quote
That's good to know.  I'll bookmark it in my head as I move forward here; thanks!

Reply #18 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Jan, reply 14

If it's one windowblind skin in particular you are trying to modify, give me a link to it (preferably) if you can or the name and creator and I'll try to see if I can figure out what you are looking for.
End of Jan's quote

I saw some very creative and interesting skins, and some stunning looking wallpapers too.  But once I've rebooted and start getting to work, Is end up with dozens of open windows and very little of my desktops showing.  So I'm not really trying to change the world with a menagerie of colors and shapes at this time.

I'm more interested in skins with slightly larger buttons and other elements, even if the cursor-targets are the same size as all the other themes.  So any of these would work.

  • Default Theme
  • Diamond
  • Win8

But really, I'm not too proud.  I'd use a "My Little Pony" or "Calico Cat" theme if it allowed me to get into my "zone".  ;)  

Edit:  Or maybe show me how to do it.  40+ years in IT, plus I have been paper-trained, so I'm pretty sure I can still learn new tricks!

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Okay, so maybe this is good news.  I just found the Skinstudio applet in the Object Desktop installer.  I installed it, and it does appear that there is a way to change font sizes in Windows as you build your own skin for Windowblinds.  So I'm going to try it.  Buckle up!

I don't know if this will work, but I'm cautiously optimistic.  I'm going to create a basic skin based on the the Diamond default.  I'll try to increase the font sizes.  I'll probably stick with Segoe UI and just bump all the elements by 1 or 2 font sizes.

We'll see if this works...and if it does, then the next question is exactly "what" does it improve?  And more importantly, what can't it improve?  I do realize that some apps won't suddenly start displaying new font sizes.  But it's worth a try.

So more to come.  Hey, I wasn't going to do anything important this weekend anyhow.  Well, except for this (if it works).

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I mostly altered fonts's size with text editor since I am too lazy to look around with SkinStudio. Of course,there is trial and error since I blindly done that without knowing proper area to change. Therefore there is an instance that one skin of menu became very bulky to read. But from I understand that's exactly what you need.