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How to change font size in Finder system wide?

M

MacNoobGuy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 18, 2012
497
0
Hi all, I'm wanting to increase the size of the font in 'Finder' in my folders. I've increased the size of fonts in Firefox and it looks much better. I went into 'Finder', 'Show View Options' and I can change the size of fonts, but it's for every individual folder not for all the folders on the system...

I'm running Mavericks.

Thanks!
 
I tried again and Finder only changes the font size in the folder I'm currently in.
 
Again, I'm stuck at work so I can't test this myself but I seem to recall that setting Folder Options in the Finder worked only on the currently selected folder and any folders that it contained. See if you can test this by applying the settings you want to a folder and see if that same change is made to any child folders. If so then I think you just need to open the highest level folder in the Finder, set the options you want there and the change should cascade down to ever other folder.
 
Kelmon said:
Again, I'm stuck at work so I can't test this myself but I seem to recall that setting Folder Options in the Finder worked only on the currently selected folder and any folders that it contained. See if you can test this by applying the settings you want to a folder and see if that same change is made to any child folders. If so then I think you just need to open the highest level folder in the Finder, set the options you want there and the change should cascade down to ever other folder.
Click to expand...

Well, the way it used to work, the above is true except for any folders that had already been modified "manually". Not sure if this has changed in Mavericks.

Assuming it hasn't, go to your highest level folder and use Show View Options to set it the way you want it. Then click the Use as Defaults button. Now every folder inside that will be set the same, with the possible exception of any that you have monkeyed with.
 
Kelmon said:
Again, I'm stuck at work so I can't test this myself but I seem to recall that setting Folder Options in the Finder worked only on the currently selected folder and any folders that it contained. See if you can test this by applying the settings you want to a folder and see if that same change is made to any child folders. If so then I think you just need to open the highest level folder in the Finder, set the options you want there and the change should cascade down to ever other folder.
Click to expand...

Alright, I didn't know that was the case.

I'll try changing 'all my files'
 
Oops! I didn't notice the one missing step in Kelmon's post. Set it the higher level folder way you want all folders within it to show up, then click the Use as Defaults button.

As I stated above, this probably will have no effect on any folder that you have already changed view options for previously.

Bonus tip: You can also change folders later to something different than your default settings, but do it in Show View Options. If you just right click in a window and select the Arrange By setting, that change won't stick, it's intended to be temporary only.
 
MacNoobGuy said:
Ok I just did this, but it didn't work...?
Click to expand...

Ok. Please describe exactly how you did it, and exactly what the result was. If you want more help, you will have to supply something to go on.

The way I described it is how it has worked for me. If you've adjusted virtually every folder's settings to something other than the Factory Default, then it's not going to work for you.
 
Ok, I've been following this because I'm three days in to learning OSX myself. In Finder I clicked Go > Computer, then right clicked Macintosh HD > Show View Options, made the changes I want and clicked Use as Defaults. I believe this is what has been suggested above. Haven't had a chance to see if this accomplishes what the OP asked.

It's a bit confusing because Macintosh HD does not appear in the Sidebar by default, so I can see why the OP would consider All My Files to be the top level. And in Windows the 'Use as folders default' option is available from any folder level/location. Advantage Windows.
 
Gregg2 said:
Ok. Please describe exactly how you did it, and exactly what the result was. If you want more help, you will have to supply something to go on.

The way I described it is how it has worked for me. If you've adjusted virtually every folder's settings to something other than the Factory Default, then it's not going to work for you.
Click to expand...

Okay I'm in 'Macintosh HD' folder now. I just right clicked 'Show view options' and put 'size 16' and clicked 'Use as defaults'.
 
MacNoobGuy said:
Okay I'm in 'Macintosh HD' folder now. I just right clicked 'Show view options' and put 'size 16' and clicked 'Use as defaults'.
Click to expand...

And?
Did it change the font size in Macintosh HD?
Did it change the font size in any folder within Macintosh HD?
Had you already been changing the font size in those "enclosed" folders?

You could really speed up the process of getting somewhere in a forum by providing more information. Brevity is your enemy in this situation. Doing it piece by piece will take days.

I'm not sure, but it might be possible to start over by deleting the plist file for Finder.
 
Gregg2 said:
And?
Did it change the font size in Macintosh HD?
Did it change the font size in any folder within Macintosh HD?
Had you already been changing the font size in those "enclosed" folders?

You could really speed up the process of getting somewhere in a forum by providing more information. Brevity is your enemy in this situation. Doing it piece by piece will take days.

I'm not sure, but it might be possible to start over by deleting the plist file for Finder.
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks for your reply.

It only changed the font size in that folder, not the ones 'under' it.
 
So then go with the suggestion in the last line of my previous post.

Delete com.apple.finder.plist then Restart the computer.
 
Gregg2 said:
So then go with the suggestion in the last line of my previous post.

Delete com.apple.finder.plist then Restart the computer.
Click to expand...

I'm just worried about doing this and then creating more problems...
 
MacNoobGuy said:
I'm just worried about doing this and then creating more problems...
Click to expand...

It's an absolutely safe procedure. The OS will make a new plist file and place it in the folder you deleted it from. Now everything in Finder will be back to factory defaults. This could clear up the problem. But, instead of deleting that file, you could move it to your Desktop. The OS will still make a new one in that folder, and if you don't like the results, you can replace (overwrite) it with the old one from your Desktop.
 
Gregg2 said:
It's an absolutely safe procedure. The OS will make a new plist file and place it in the folder you deleted it from. Now everything in Finder will be back to factory defaults. This could clear up the problem. But, instead of deleting that file, you could move it to your Desktop. The OS will still make a new one in that folder, and if you don't like the results, you can replace (overwrite) it with the old one from your Desktop.
Click to expand...

Alright thanks.

Can anyone confirm this procedure?
 
Up through OS version 10.3, it was easy enough to change the menu bars fonts and font sizes.

Beginning with the release of 10.4, this became much more difficult, well nigh impossible.

The "TinkerTool" utility app can change certain fonts used by the System, but I don't believe it can change the size or type of menu bar fonts...
 
MacNoobGuy said:
Alright thanks.

Can anyone confirm this procedure?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've done it for Finder, Excel, Word, and maybe a few other things. This procedure never caused a problem.

If you're waiting for someone else to confirm it, you might not ever get that. But, you can go on using the Mac with this annoying problem, or try that procedure to see if it solves it. If it doesn't, you've just started down the road that Thomas Edison took for inventing the light bulb.
 
Gregg2 said:
Yeah, I've done it for Finder, Excel, Word, and maybe a few other things. This procedure never caused a problem.

If you're waiting for someone else to confirm it, you might not ever get that. But, you can go on using the Mac with this annoying problem, or try that procedure to see if it solves it. If it doesn't, you've just started down the road that Thomas Edison took for inventing the light bulb.
Click to expand...

Alright, thanks. I'll give it a try.
 
satcomer said:
Just get the free TinkerTool. Trust me when I say that this free application will help you immensely.
Click to expand...

I got this yesterday based on the rec upthread. I increased the size of every one of the font settings -- +3-4pts, about +25%, which should be noticeable -- and I haven't seen any font size changes anywhere. Am I missing something?
 
Robisan said:
I got this yesterday based on the rec upthread. I increased the size of every one of the font settings -- +3-4pts, about +25%, which should be noticeable -- and I haven't seen any font size changes anywhere. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Yep. You going have to throw out the file /YourHardDrive/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist . Then reboot and upon the reboot run TinkerTool and set the Font changes again. Then reboot one more time.
 
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