Font size issues in Entourage 2008

[Allen]

To the MS Office Mac team:

Please allow direct text entry of any font size to be specified in
Entourage. In Entourage 2008, there is a font size dropdown that includes
only certain fixed sizes.

In Preferences, email default text sizes can be set in 7 pt and 9 pt, but
the list doesn't include 8 pt.

Once an email is created, it is possible to select 8 pt from that version of
the dropdown font size list. However, you can't choose 7 pt, even though
that might be the default size for emails that you've set in Preferences!
This seems like an odd disconnect.

Also, it appears that the font size system has changed from 2004 to 2008.
(Presumably an attempt to resolve differences between Windows 96dpi font
display and Mac 72 dip font display?) My default size used to be 9, and my
signatures were set at 9. Now my signatures show up in the dropdown as 7.5
pt, though that's not a size that can be set from the dropdown. Dropping
down the list presents only the set size options provided. (So strangely, my
signatures can BE 7.5 pt, as long as I don't change them, but if I ever
change them, I can't make them 7.5 pt. again.)

Replacing the font dropdown with one that allows direct text entry of point
sizes would remedy all these issues. It's a fairly standard widget design
seen throughout most popular software packages. With the new, coarser
granularity of the font size system, allowing fractional font sizes (like my
7.5 pt signatures) would be great.

Allen

 

[Barry Wainwright]

To the MS Office Mac team:

Please allow direct text entry of any font size to be specified in
Entourage. In Entourage 2008, there is a font size dropdown that includes
only certain fixed sizes.

In Preferences, email default text sizes can be set in 7 pt and 9 pt, but
the list doesn't include 8 pt.

Once an email is created, it is possible to select 8 pt from that version of
the dropdown font size list. However, you can't choose 7 pt, even though
that might be the default size for emails that you've set in Preferences!
This seems like an odd disconnect.

A good suggestion - you can send it directly to the MS Developers by using
the 'send feedback' command under the help menu. The more people that request
this, the more likely it is to get implemented.

Also, it appears that the font size system has changed from 2004 to 2008.
(Presumably an attempt to resolve differences between Windows 96dpi font
display and Mac 72 dip font display?) My default size used to be 9, and my
signatures were set at 9. Now my signatures show up in the dropdown as 7.5
pt, though that's not a size that can be set from the dropdown. Dropping
down the list presents only the set size options provided. (So strangely, my
signatures can BE 7.5 pt, as long as I don't change them, but if I ever
change them, I can't make them 7.5 pt. again.)

yes the font size system was changed for 2008 - more to do with the different
ways that different clients specify font sizes than the 72/96 issue. Font
sizes are now specified in 'pixels' raher than 'points', modern clients
should be able to convert these with more reliability than the old system,
which could lead to the font size in quoted text growing lrger with each
reply.

 

[Allen]

{Allen}:

A good suggestion - you can send it directly to the MS Developers by using
the 'send feedback' command under the help menu. The more people that request
this, the more likely it is to get implemented.

I have - and will encourage others to do so!

yes the font size system was changed for 2008 - more to do with the different
ways that different clients specify font sizes than the 72/96 issue. Font
sizes are now specified in 'pixels' raher than 'points', modern clients
should be able to convert these with more reliability than the old system,
which could lead to the font size in quoted text growing lrger with each
reply.

That's a good change that I've hoped for for some time - I only occasionally
had the font growing issue, but it was a hassle.