Annex G: Changing browser fonts
Publishing date: May 2002
Although there are many web browsers on the market, the most commonly used applications are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. The following information is based on these two browsers. Most others allow the user to configure their browser window and these changes are completed in similar ways. Any browser will always have a help facility that will explain how these operations are carried out.
All pull-down and selectable menu options within each of the applications have a single underlined letter. This shows how to access the option if a pointing device is not available. This may mean that the ‘alt’ or ‘ctrl’ or ‘shift’ key is held down at the same time as the designated letter is pressed, depending on how a user’s computer is configured.
G.1 Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE)
MSIE version 4
- Select ‘View’ from the top pull down menu options.
- Select ‘Internet Options’.
- From this menu screen, illustrated on the right, the user may select the ‘Colours’ options by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the screen.
- The user can now change the default colour for the background and font.
- Use windows colours can be deselected by clicking on the box.
- Once this has been done, the Text and Background selections can be changed by clicking on the boxes themselves.
- Selecting the ‘Fonts’ button will give the user the ability to change the style of font used by the browser.
- Once selected any international character set can be selected and any font resident on the computer can be used.
- The Accessibility button allows the user to accept or decline styling put in place by an organisation’s Cascading Style Sheet.
- The three options available are to ignore colour, font type and font size declarations.
- The user also has the ability to construct their own standard CSS; this will effect any page accessed and will ensure that the font sizes and colours used are always legible and useful for the user.
As stated, different versions of MSIE work in slightly different ways. In MSIE5.5 this same selection process can be accessed by selecting ‘Tools’ from the top pull down menu options and then selecting ‘Internet Options’ .
G.2 Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator approaches things in a slightly different manner but essentially works in the same way as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
- Select ‘Edit’ from the top pull down menu options.
- Select ‘Preferences’.
- From this menu screen, illustrated on the right, the user may select the Colours option by clicking on the word.
- The user can now change the default colour for the background and font.
- Use windows colours can be deselected by clicking on the box.
- Once this has been done, the Text and Background selections can be changed by clicking on the boxes themselves.
- Selecting the Fonts option will give the user the ability to change the style of font used by the browser.
- Once selected any international character set can be selected and any font resident on the computer can be used.
