Are Tiny Fonts Causing You Pain?
Unfortunately, monitor resolutions also increase where it does not necessarily make sense, with laptops, for example. On an average notebook-sized display, a resolution beyond 1024x768 is hardly bearable for the eyes when it comes to reading text — emails — using the default font sizes.
Fortunately, Outlook lets you increase the font size in most emails swiftly. Unfortunately, there are some emails that specify the font in a way that is remarkably resistant to being adapted for your needs. If you encounter such a difficult case you can still resort to the use of a display lens such as the free Virtual Magnifying Glass.
Increase the Font Size While Reading Mail in Outlook
To read mail in a larger font in Outlook:
- Hold down Ctrl while turning the scroll wheel on your mouse down.
In Outlook 2007 and later, alternatively
- Open the message in its own window.
- Click Other Actions.
- Select Zoom... from the menu.
- Choose the desired zoom level.
- Click OK.
Outlook will not remember the zoom level.
As an alternative to the mouse in Outlook 2000-2003, you can also
- open the message in its own window and
- select View | Text Size and the desired size from the menu.
Since this does not work with plain text emails (the mouse wheel does), also select Tools | Options... from the menu, go to the Mail Format tab, click Fonts... and use the Choose Font... button under When composing and reading plain text: to choose a bigger font.
Change Other Fonts, Too
You can also change the size and style of the message list.
