How cool is this!

Large print

[Adam5000]

Long live CSS!

I write fiction stories, and I've got a website I publish them on. And, a few months ago, I got a request to make the text bigger, to make it easier to read, for those who don't have their reading glasses handy.

So I made a copy of the entire site, and then, by changing only two lines in the main external style sheet, I created over 200 pages of large print edition all in one swoop.

How cool is that!

[lucy24]

for those who don't have their reading glasses handy

... and whose browsers don't have a Zoom Text option and/or a preference setting for font size?

:: trying hard to avoid ugly but inescapable suspicion ::

[jecasc]

So I made a copy of the entire site, and then, by changing only two lines in the main external style sheet, I created over 200 pages of large print edition all in one swoop.

If you want to do your readers an even bigger favor do this:

Add a big A++ Button on the website. When they click on it display the following message:

Please use the following buttons to change the size of any website:

<CTRL> <+> to increase size
<CTRL> <-> to decrease size
<CTRL> <0> to display original size

This way they will have learned something they can use everywhere.

[Rosalind]

Making a copy of the entire site is pointless, and bad for SEO. What you need is a stylesheet switcher. You'll find loads of code examples online. The advantage over jecasc's solution is, apart from not demanding that your visitors think for themselves, you can add high-contrast styles, fonts that are chosen for their legibility, and a design that's optimised for someone with poor fine motor control.

[bhonda]

Back to the OP's sentiment,

Long live CSS!

Even if the reasons why the change was made may be questionable, the fact still stands that when CSS is used properly, with proper markup, major site-wide changes can be made with the minimum amount of effort.

I like that.

[Adam5000]

Well. I learn something new every day.

lucy. I'm not sure what a zoom text option is, but it sounds cool.

jecasc. Your idea sounds cool too, and it's quick and easy for a reader to do. I'll see if I can work it in somewhere.

Rosalind. I didn't know stylesheet switchers existed, but that sounds like a good idea too. I don't have time to figure it out right now, but it sounds good for later.

bhonda. Thanks for your input too.


If you get a chance, drop by and read my stories. Valentine story coming out Feb 1.

[not2easy]

I'm not sure what a zoom text option is, but it sounds cool.

Many browsers offer a Zoom function these days. On Firefox you click VIEW and then choose Zoom, on Safari you click VIEW and then choose Zoom In or Zoom, Text Only. MSIE probably has a similar feature.

[drhowarddrfine]

@not2easy. On all browsers, just hold down ctl and scroll your mouse wheel.

[not2easy]

This is true, but it assumes you are using a mouse.

[pzin]

You can use control and plus to zoom it, control and minus to zoom out, and control and zero for default size.

On a mac the same thing, just using &#8984; instead of control.

[pzin]

&#8984; was command key.

[lucy24]

Two different things.

There are system-wide zooms, and there's the Zoom menu item within the browser. Some browsers zoom everything; some have an option for Zoom Text Only. Kinda the equivalent of setting a bigger default font-- except that Zoom Text will override the site's font-size settings.