How to Zoom Text in Your Browser

The default font size for most websites is 12-13 pixels. Unless you’re sitting 12 inches from your screen, you likely have to squint to read text that size. The optimal font size for the average viewing distance (23-28 inches from the screen) is 16 pixels, which also happens to be the default font size for modern web browsers. What you may not realize, is that you can zoom any page to your desired reading size. It’s very simple, and all browsers share the same set of shortcuts.

Shortcuts might not be your thing. If this is case, the zoom settings are usually found in the View menu.

Pass it Along

If you found this site useful and feel that your friends, family, and peers could benefit from knowing how to use the zoom feature in their web browser, take a moment to share it on your favourite social network.

Web Designers & Developers

You may not be keen on the idea of setting the body copy to 16px, and I certainly don’t fault you for that. If you insist on using smaller type in your work, perhaps take a moment to ensure your client knows how to use the zoom feature in their browser. Send them a link to this site, and tell them to pass it along to their friends and family. Educating users can never hurt.

Thank you to Matt Brett

Matt Brett put this together. He was inspired by Smashing Magazine’s “16 PIXELS For Body Copy. Anything Less Is A Costly Mistake“.