Bug 144075 - Fonts in interface and preferences are too small.
Summary: Fonts in interface and preferences are too small.
Status: RESOLVED NOTABUG
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: UI (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
7.1.4.2 release
Hardware: All macOS (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords: accessibility
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2021-08-25 05:05 UTC by MarjaE
Modified: 2023-03-25 08:02 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
LibreOffice Prefs on a 21.5" screen. (410.66 KB, image/png)
2021-09-02 20:43 UTC, MarjaE
Details
LibreOffice, Pages, and Textedit Prefs (266.19 KB, image/png)
2023-03-24 21:29 UTC, MarjaE
Details

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Description MarjaE 2021-08-25 05:05:00 UTC
Description:
Fonts in interface and preferences are too small.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open LibreOffice
2. Open Preferences. Look at the font sizes.
3. Open the Navigator. Look at the font sizes.
4. If you can read Preferences at all, try to switch the font sizes, maybe 20 or 30 points.

Actual Results:
2. The fonts seem to be the standard recommended sizes, I have to get really close to the screen and squint to read anything.

3. Likewise.

4. Changing the font sizes does notyhing to change the font sizes.

Expected Results:
2. The fonts should be a reasonable size.

3. Likewise.

4. Changuing the font size in the Preferences should change the font size throughout the user interface.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
I can't read About LibreOffice or copy and paste from there.
Comment 1 MarjaE 2021-08-25 05:06:55 UTC
Wearing everyday glasses. Can't use magnifiers or reading glasses due to migraines.

Using a 22" Benq GW2280 monitor.

Running MacOS 10.14.6.
Comment 2 m_a_riosv 2021-08-25 16:53:48 UTC
Please attach the info copied with the button on Menu/Help/About LibreOffice
Comment 3 MarjaE 2021-08-25 22:23:39 UTC
It's hard to see anything on that pop-up.

Version: 7.1.4.2 / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: a529a4fab45b75fefc5b6226684193eb000654f6
CPU threads: 4; OS: Mac OS X 10.14.6; UI render: default; VCL: osx
Locale: en-US (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded
Comment 4 V Stuart Foote 2021-08-26 05:30:49 UTC
That BenQ BW2280 monitor is not 4K/5K Retina resolution, rather it is standard HD 1920 x 1080, have you adjusted System Preferences -> Displays and set the scale to 1080p?  When configured correctly UI elements should then be a scale appropriate for the display's resolution.

A 1080p monitor should produce readable text and icons.
Comment 5 MarjaE 2021-08-26 05:52:15 UTC
Yes, I'm using 1080p, I'm not using scaling.

Yes, that *should* produce readable text.

But on my screen, the text in the preferences interface is 2 mm high, and at about 60 cm away, that is about 11 arcminutes.

And the labels for Layout, Dimensions, Controls, etc. are also 2 mm high.

I have a lot of trouble reading black text on white backgrounds at less than 22 arcminutes, and white text on black backgrounds at less than 30 arcminutes. Your mileage may vary, but I'd strongly suggest (a) letting users set sizes we can read, and (b) erring on the side of too big instead of too small.
Comment 6 Roman Kuznetsov 2021-09-02 19:07:08 UTC
Could you attach some screenshot or even a photo of your display with opened LibreOffice?

I don't see the problem in

Version: 7.3.0.0.alpha0+ / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 368e21fbc34fa4104f16498a54ab77704f39e6b4
CPU threads: 4; OS: Mac OS X 10.16; UI render: Skia/Metal; VCL: osx
Locale: ru-RU (ru_RU.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded
Comment 7 MarjaE 2021-09-02 20:43:45 UTC
Created attachment 174749 [details]
LibreOffice Prefs on a 21.5" screen.
Comment 8 MarjaE 2021-09-02 20:44:42 UTC
(In reply to Roman Kuznetsov from comment #6)
> Could you attach some screenshot or even a photo of your display with opened
> LibreOffice?
> 
> I don't see the problem in
> 
> Version: 7.3.0.0.alpha0+ / LibreOffice Community
> Build ID: 368e21fbc34fa4104f16498a54ab77704f39e6b4
> CPU threads: 4; OS: Mac OS X 10.16; UI render: Skia/Metal; VCL: osx
> Locale: ru-RU (ru_RU.UTF-8); UI: en-US
> Calc: threaded

What size is the text on your screen?
Comment 9 MarjaE 2021-09-08 18:55:10 UTC
There was a scaling option in older versions, such as 4.2.0.1, which was a workaround.

Bug 101646 reports that it was removed for 5.3.0.0. Bug 105873 reports that it was still present in 5.3.0.3 and requests an option to disable it.

There is no scaling option in 5.3.0.1.

I have an awful migraine from trying to read the preferences to test these.
Comment 10 MarjaE 2021-09-08 19:17:30 UTC
If I use the default 100% scaling, both LibreOffice 3.3.0.4 and NeoOffice 2017.20 have the same 2 mm text, too small to read. Haven't tested OpenOffice but it's probably inherited from there.
Comment 11 V Stuart Foote 2021-09-08 19:34:47 UTC
(In reply to MarjaE from comment #7)
> Created attachment 174749 [details]
> LibreOffice Prefs on a 21.5" screen.

Perfectly readable, font is about 40% of the icons.

If you need larger text (and I'd assume other UI elements) configure the OS for the external monitor [1]

LibreOffice individual UI component scaling was removed as unsupportable at 5.3.0 release, reimplementing a framework with support for HiDPI displays (other than os/DE scaling) is what bug 101646 remains open for.

=-ref-=
[1] https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/193723/scaling-all-ui-elements-when-using-an-external-monitor
Comment 12 MarjaE 2021-09-09 00:19:07 UTC
If I leave the monitor at the default resolution, the LibreOffice preferences, etc. are unreadable or painfully hard to read. Maybe they're "perfectly readable" for you, but not for me.

Some other apps have similar text sizes, but LibreOffice seems uniquely hard to read. Maybe it's the fonts, text rendering, etc.

If I set a lower resolution, and auto-resize application windows, they start to overlap the Dock, etc. I'm not sure why. I think rounding errors may be involved. Apps where I'd set my preferred text sizes get giant but blurry text. The Menu Bar runs out of space.
Comment 13 MarjaE 2021-11-01 07:43:04 UTC
In order to use Form Controls to create a form-fillable document, users are supposed to open Properties > Custom Properties.
Comment 14 MarjaE 2022-04-14 16:46:58 UTC
Also affects the dialogue when opening safe mode.
Comment 15 eisa01 2023-03-24 20:04:25 UTC
I don't see any issue either, the font size seems to be the same as in other apps (e.g., the menu items itself)

Is there a way in macOS to indicate you want to scale the user interface?
Does LO support that?
Comment 16 MarjaE 2023-03-24 21:29:47 UTC
Created attachment 186200 [details]
LibreOffice, Pages, and Textedit Prefs

I've screenshotted the LibreOffice, Pages, and Textedit prefs. They're all exceedingly hard to read, but between their size and font rendering, LibreOffice is the hardest for me.
Comment 17 eisa01 2023-03-25 08:02:38 UTC
Thanks!

The macOS way to increase the size of the UI elements is in System Preferences - > Display

There are also other Accessibility options:
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/make-it-easier-to-see-whats-on-the-screen-mchld786f2cd/mac

A 22" 1080p screen is by definition quite high resolution for its size, the "normal" size for that resolution is 24". (I know, because I specifically purchased such a 1920x1200 screen back in the day)

So I'd think what you're seeing is by design unfortunately

I'll resolve this as not a bug, but you can put yourself on CC on bug 101646 to see if that feature would get developed eventually