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General discussion

Fonts and size in Hotmail

Aug 23, 2005 12:05AM PDT

Hello - I have a family member who cannot read the printout of hotmail incoming messages because the font is too small. This can be corrected in both Yahoo and Outlook - if the mail comes through them - but the hotmail support person said that it was not a Hotmail issue when it occurs there. I should correct the settings in windows, she said. (I can of course reduce and enlarge the size on the screen, but not in printouts). This seems wrong to me - can anyone tell me how to manage it without going through the entire procedure of sending it to Word and editing? My configuration: Windows XP Pro with SP2, IE6, 120 giga of hard disks 512 MB memory, Office 2003, various malware antidotes. TIA Amos.

Discussion is locked

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Since Hotmail is browser based.
Aug 23, 2005 12:40AM PDT

If you wish to print the web page exactly as it appears on the screen, do not select the print option in the toolbar, but rather select Print directly from the browser's File menu. It may be necessary to turn on background images if you want to exactly replicate the on-screen layout.

The onscreen font increase will show on the printout. If you want only the message, highlight and use PRINT SELECTION.

Cheers,

Bob

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Thanks, but
Aug 23, 2005 3:05AM PDT

Bob, thanks but there is a snag: as soon as I click the file menu, the incoming message disappears and its place is taken by the menu of the in-file. I tried it out, and it indeed printed the menu. Is there a way round that ? TIA Amos.

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P.S.
Aug 23, 2005 3:14AM PDT

I tried taking the printout from the printer icon on the Hotmail toolbar, went through Options, Effects and asked for 150% of the original in the HP menu that opened, both directly and through Selection. In both cases the print size did not change, it remained as small as it was in the beginning. Hope you can help. Amos

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Yup.
Aug 23, 2005 4:22AM PDT

I'm just sharing that will do just as you reported. I didn't use that and ... got bigger fonts.

Bob

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Sorry, Bob,
Aug 23, 2005 5:03AM PDT

can you say that in English ? Have pored over it, Sudoku style, but no answer. You did what and how, and then didn't do what and got bigger fonts? No clue there for me... Amos

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In short.
Aug 23, 2005 6:45AM PDT

I did not use any Hotmail buttons. I used file, print of the browser.

If I highlight just what I want, then when I use file, print an option is available to 'print selection.'

Bob

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In short.
Aug 23, 2005 2:37PM PDT

Bob, not exactly sure where this poster is from (Country) that he wants it explained in English. However, I think Peter explained it to me and I will try to explain it to the poster. Is that OK with you? Please check out my English, and answers from me, later.

-Kevin

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Country
Aug 24, 2005 1:01AM PDT

Kevin: Born Kraut, brought up and domiciled in England (the old one), now working for Americans so as to what my present country is I'd sayd "mid-Atlantis". Amos.

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Font Size in Hotmail
Aug 23, 2005 3:22PM PDT

Amos, To increase the screen image of the font and text size, please press the control key down and click on the + (plus) key. If you are on a web generated site, the image will be larger. Keep on pressing the control key and increase the image by pressing the + key a few more times. See how the text size increases?

Want to reduce the size of the text? Press the control key and press the - (Minus) key, the text size will be reduced. Works also when you are on a web site all the time. Learned this recently from one one of my friends, Peter. With Macintosh, you would use the Apple key for this procedure in place of the control key.
Reall neat info to have.

Amos, try it out, you will like it. Try it out right now on this CNET Forum page. It does work and you will have a ball explaining your new knowledge that you have acquired to all your friends and relatives. Works all the time!

Thank you
TIA AMOS,
Favorite quote:
There, but for the grace of God, go I.

Nice quote. I agree!

-Kevin

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Just one issue.
Aug 23, 2005 10:32PM PDT

If you use the Hotmail Print Mail button these changes vanish and you get the smaller print fonts.

-> Can you explain how to use File, Print?

I thought it was sufficient to instruct one to try File, Print but maybe it can be expanded on.

Bob

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Just one mistake on my part?
Aug 25, 2005 3:50PM PDT

Never knew that Bob. OOPS!
Thank you,

Kevin-

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Snag
Aug 24, 2005 1:05AM PDT

Kevin, thanks. All this is clear but the snag - as I pointed out in post #3 above - is that the incoming message disappears when I click "File" and what remains is the list of messages. Question was, is there a way to avoid that. Amos.

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A slight problem.
Aug 24, 2005 1:10AM PDT

IE doesn't do that in stock form. It's becoming clear that your computer is not stock. You installed the Hotmail bar so that could be what stops you cold in what would be an easy fix.

-> Install Firefox, but do not install any Hotmail addon to that browser then use the same ideas to get your larger printer fonts.

Sorry, but I can't know how your IE is afflicted, but it is now clear that it is.

Bob

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OK
Aug 24, 2005 2:41AM PDT

Thanks Bob - I do have the Hotmail bar installed and that may be the problem. Shall try to work around it. And again, what do you mean by my computer not being "stock". It is generic, a no-name thing, but I got it at CompUSA at the recommendation of a friend who is in IT. There have been improvements on it, of course, and as I said in my resume I love to tinker, but nothing about it is cheap or not genuine. So let me try and solve this problem too, for the lady in question is quite sensitive about her eyesight not being as good as it used to be. Firefox may be the solution. Thanks again - Amos.

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IE is not stock.
Aug 24, 2005 3:04AM PDT

IE the browser is not in it's as-supplied form. It has been modified by at least one addon and as such is not behaving as IE does for most of us.

Hope Firefox works for you.

Bob

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Half work around
Aug 24, 2005 3:34AM PDT

Bob, thanks for the explanation. I have now found a work-around to the message disappearance problem: I open another window in the message (print preview), do the selecting there, and then the File command works. BUT neither the printer (HP 1315) nor the printer software have the option of enlarging beyond 100%. When I enlarge the screen only, it prints small, as before. Is there a solution to that - or is there another forum, that deals with printers etc.? TIA - Amos.

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Or use Firefox.
Aug 24, 2005 4:44AM PDT

Works super for me. Let's copy what Black Viper writes about Spyware...

http://www.blackviper.com/News/current.htm wrote:

"Sunday, January 16, 2005 @ 5:29 PM PST

What is the number 1 question in my inbox lately? "What do you do about Spyware?"

Answer: Nothing. I use Firefox."

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Or use Firefox
Aug 25, 2005 3:57PM PDT

I have just been using Firefox for about a month.
Goodby Microsoft Internet Explorer. RIP.
Hello, Safari and Firefox!

-Kevin

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Snag
Aug 25, 2005 3:52PM PDT

Ask Bob Proffitt. Bob will know.

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Snag
Aug 25, 2005 5:35PM PDT

Thanks. Bob always knows. And I shall move over to Firefox as soon as I find the time for the adjustment. Amos.

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Snag
Aug 26, 2005 4:20PM PDT

Amos, Firefox and the email Thunderbird is a quick download. Easy interface to learn. No adjustment needed!
Took me about five minutes to learn the basics.
I love to use it. Has so many features that are great. Bookmarks are wondersul as well as spell check. Very stable also. I am still learning about it right now.

Mozilla.com is the place to go and learn about it and download this browser that leaves Microsoft in the dust. I am on a Mac X. Works with the PC. Everyone I talk to loves it.
Technical issues? Ask Bob Proffitt.

-Kevin

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Case dismissed
Aug 26, 2005 6:22PM PDT

Hi - Kevin and Bob: found a solution to the problem (still with IE) and it is so simple that I wonder if I have been dense or else you did not realize what I was doing. Instead of using the View/Text size option on the IE after the incoming message was on the monitor, I increased the size BEFORE clicking to get the message. And voila! the message now prints as large as we need it, a relief to me and a joy to the elderly relation for whom I had started this quest. So thank you for trying. And I will get Firefox, no doubt about it. Amos.