Proposal: reduce base font size from 10pt to 9pt for Karmic Koala release

[Felix Miata]

On 2009/10/10 07:20 (GMT+0100) Conn composed:

> I am proposing that for the Karmic Koala release, we set all font sizes
> (application, document, desktop, window title and fixed width) to 9pts, for
> the following reasons:

Boooo, hisss, thumbs down.

> - Fonts currently look over-sized on the default configuration (96dpi, 10pt,
> subpixel smoothing & slight hinting) if you compare to competing operating
> systems[1].

You're making your comparison in the wrong environment: 1024x768. Generally
at that resolution fonts and other objects are larger than at the higher
resolutions new systems and displays average. 1024x768, which on a 15" (the
largest that was ever readily available with that native resolution) flat
panel screen is about 85 DPI, has gotten hard to find except pre-owned or
off-lease. Normal minimum in stores today is 1280x800 for laptops (e.g. 108
DPI on 14") and 1440x900 for desktops (e.g. 89 DPI on 19"). Worse cases
aren't that uncommon. 1920x1200 goes as low as 15.4" on a laptop, which is
147 DPI, and 23" on a desktop, which is ~98 DPI. 1680x1050 isn't uncommon at
20", which is ~99 DPI.

You're proposing that fonts should be smaller everywhere, while they are
already smaller just as they are on the average more expensive displays
(higher resolution = more expensive). The problem is compounded for laptop
users, since they average significantly higher resolution. Further
compounding the size of the problem is that laptops outsell desktops, meaning
the average size of fonts and other desktop objects is already too small for
many average users. Then further compounding is the fixation on 96 DPI
instead of actual DPI on high resolution screens. What you see as "too big"
10pt on your 1024x768 screen many will see as too small on their more
expensive displays running 100 DPI and up.

> Rather than myself going into a lot of detail with arguments for and against
> this change, I would appreciate any feedback from the rest of the community.
> All that I would ask is that you give this proposal a fair chance - change
> the font sizes on your system to 9pt, and evaluate it for a day or so. We
> have become accustomed to - and perhaps comfortable with - a default 10pt
> font, but it is not necessarily optimal.

Lest anyone forget, it's generally much easier for a user given too large
fonts to see to figure out how to make them smaller than it is for a user
given too small fonts to see to figure out how to make them bigger. The
upshot of that is if you can't make them perfect for everyone (which is
impossible anyway), it's better to err on the large side than on the small side.

> Notes:
> [1] Comparison screenshots, showing default font sizes:
> Windows 7 (9pt, proprietary ClearType smoothing):
> http://www.redmondpie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Windows-7-6.1.7600.16384.win7_rtm.090710-1945.png

The fonts in that image are absurdly small.

> Windows XP (9pt, no ClearType smoothing):
> http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/wxp_rtm_home_004.gif

Ditto. If those are in fact 9pt and not 8pt something is unusual on your
comparison XP. Windows UI fonts have usually been ridiculously small (8pt),
but I have encountered the use of 9pt in W2K & WXP when "large" has not been
selected in settings. The browser and office app document fonts have always
been 12pt by default. The difference in size is a function of area, not
nominal size, meaning that 12pt is 2.25 times the size of 8pt (12^2 / 8^2)
and 1.78 times the size of 9pt (12^2 / 9^2).

> [2] Before anyone suggests otherwise, this is not a problem with the GTK
> theme's padding. I am the co-author of the Human theme, and I can assure you
> that widget padding is already minimal; reducing the padding any further
> would compromise the consistency of widgets.

> [3] Font rendering comparison:
> Jaunty alpha 1 (10pt, greyscale & medium):
> http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Ubuntu-9-04-Alpha-1-Screenshot-Tour-5.jpg/
> Jaunty alpha 6 (10pt, subpixel & slight - identical to Karmic):
> http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Ubuntu-9-04-Alpha-6-Screenshot-Tour-8.jpg/

Table of DPIs for the most common environments:
http://fm.no-ip.com/auth/dpi.xhtml

Check the suitability of the DPI your system is using:
http://fm.no-ip.com/auth/Font/fonts-ptdemo.html
http://fm.no-ip.com/auth/dpi-screen-window.html
-- 
"   A patriot without religion . . . is as great a
paradox, as an honest man without the fear of God. . . .
			2nd U.S. President, John Adams
 Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409

Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/