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Customizing Menubar font and font size

D

defsquad

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 28, 2006
147
3
birmingham, alabama
So, I know there are several posts on this forum in regards to fonts, font-size changes, etc for various applications with-in OS X, however, I have not been successful in finding anything in regards to, at the very least, reducing the font-size of the menubar within OS X.

I have tried the following 3 things in an attempt to achieve this seemingly simple task (please do tell me if i'm doing something wrong):
-Finder - View Options, changing the font size there does not affect the menubar
-TinkerTool - Reducing all of those font-sizes do no thing
-Silk - Couldn't figure out how to use it to reduce font sizes

I'm on 10.4.10 on a 2.33ghz MBP and would LOVE to reduce the font sizes to match the smaller icons i use, especially while viewing my desktop on my 20" lcd. As a sidenote, in Path Finder, I can successfully alter the font sizes of font labels and pretty much everything else within Path Finder EXCEPT labels on the menubar.

I refuse to believe that this isn't possible. Here is a screenshot of my current desktop (1440x900) is the default res (click to get that full sized res). You can see how much larger the font size is in the menubar compared to the desktop icon labels...

Thanks SOOOO much for any suggestions.

 
defsquad said:
I refuse to believe that this isn't possible.
Click to expand...

Never say never, but AFAIK it is not possible. Menu bar font size is fixed. The only way to increase/decrease size is by changing resolution. Since you seem to be set at highest res, you cannot decrease.

-mj
 
This is ridiculously stupid of Apple...my Grandad has to choose to either sit inches from his iMac or have dreadful low resolution to see the menubar, while other apps he uses have text and icon size options...especially with Apple touting Accessibility, this really should be in Leopard...
 
Man, what a huge disappointment. That was one of the very few joys I had with Windows and even Linux. I could easily change anything i wanted about the UI. I really thought OS X was the same. Such a SIMPLE item to be able to change, or so I thought.

Hopefully Leopard will offer something for those of us don't particularly care for exactly what Apple tells us we should be using.
 
no problem!

i do have something to followup on, now. i was looking at some other desktop threads on macnn and one caught my eye as the font was different! the font was different and was smaller, which leads me to believe that i just need whatever app is used to modify a shapeshifter theme and see what can be done about the fonts from that angle.

i'll keep you all posted in case anyone cares about this for their own needs. :)
 
my Grandad has to choose to either sit inches from his iMac or have dreadful low resolution to see the menubar.
Click to expand...

Hi psychofreak, perhaps your granddad might try System Preferences >> Seeing >> Zoom. This will increase (magnify) the menu bar font to any size he feels comfortable with. Command-Option-8 truns it on and off. Command-option-"+" increases magnfication and Command-Option "-" reduces.

Alternatively you grand dad could pick up a pair of computer glasses?

Hope this helps.

-mj
 
Hi psychofreak, perhaps your granddad might try System Preferences >> Seeing >> Zoom. This will increase (magnify) the menu bar font to any size he feels comfortable with. Command-Option-8 truns it on and off. Command-option-"+" increases magnfication and Command-Option "-" reduces.

Alternatively you grand dad could pick up a pair of computer glasses?[/QUOTE]He wears glasses and still has trouble...Zoom is just as bad blur-wise as decreasing resolution...
 
defsquad said:
no problem!
i just need whatever app is used to modify a shapeshifter theme and see what can be done about the fonts from that angle.
Click to expand...

Be most careful with these third party haxies. Sometimes they cause system problems. Often, although they do seem to work as advertised the next time you run a System Update you've got mysterious problems. All in all, not worth it unless you are prepared to live w/o it on the next update.

-mj
 
psychofreak said:
He wears glasses and still has trouble...Zoom is just as bad blur-wise as decreasing resolution...
Click to expand...

make him go to another eye exam and get stronger glasses, sry2say.

oh and btt: every kid who has the time to customize the **** out of his mac should just go back to windows instead of ruining a perfectly beautiful OS. No custom skin comes even close to the simple elegance of the default UNO.... err Aqua. ;)
 
hotdamn said:
make him go to another eye exam and get stronger glasses, sry2say.

oh and btt: every kid who has the time to customize the **** out of his mac should just go back to windows instead of ruining a perfectly beautiful OS. No custom skin comes even close to the simple elegance of the default UNO.... err Aqua. ;)
Click to expand...

kid? not exactly.

and why should i have to live with what apple says is perfect? i personally like smaller fonts; 16pt lucida grande or geneva or whatever it is just isn't my cup of tea for the menubar; besides isn't that what owning a "personal" computer is all about?

anyhow, glad you like what apple has given you and you don't want to change a single thing with your default desktop/theme/fonts/sizing of anything.
 
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