firefox displays fonts smaller than it should have

[Wenzhuo Zhang]

Binary package hint: mozilla-firefox

On some systems, Gutsy Firefox displays all fonts too small, both in the chrome and in pages. Which makes it inconsistent with the rest of the GNOME desktop.

Setting layout.css.dpi to 0 (rather than -1) in about:config fixes the problem many people.

Original report:Using latest version in gutsy. firefox displays fonts a tad too smaller than it should have, which makes Chinese fonts look jagged and hard to read. Font size in firefox menu or other applications is normal.

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

I have the attached local.conf for fontconfig in both feisty and gutsy.

[Freddy Martinez (freddymartinez9)]

I think the new changes look better...Wenzhuo, did you take both of the screen shots in the same manner?

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

yes, using "Take Screenshot" utility. Everything is default except the /etc/fonts/local.conf. You consider the gutsy start page better probably only because it is not anti-aliased. But the font size is indeed smaller in Gutsy. Although smaller English fonts are possibly acceptable, it's not the case with Chinese fonts. Too small font size makes Chinese fonts look jagged, ugly, and very hard to read.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

This is not a mozilla issue please see bug i marked this as a duplicate of.

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

I agree that it may not be a mozilla bug. But in my case, X server correctly detected the DPI of the screen, which is a 19" LCD (1280x1024),

(--) RADEON(0): Display dimensions: (380, 300) mm
(--) RADEON(0): DPI set to (85, 86)

and font size in other applications looks normal. Firefox is the only application with which I have experienced the font size problem.

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

I have just compared the panel font sizes in feisty and gutsy, and found they are of exactly the same size. Therefore, I don't think this bug is a duplicate of bug #118745.

[Nick_Hill (nick-nickhill)]

For me, the chrome and document fonts do respond to the DPI received through DDC.

Firefox 2.0.0.4 / Gutsy;

The default font size in my firefox is set to 15pt. If a document doesn't specify font size, the fonts display as 11pt.

If I then change the document to specify fonts at 11pt, the apparent font size does not change. The font displays correctly at 11pt as verified using openoffice and a piece of paper to set a scale.

If I change the firefox preferences to 11pt then reload the document, no change as 11pt is specified in the document.

If I then remove the point size specification from the document, fonts display at around 8pt.

If I then revert the firefox preferences to 15 point, the document displays again at 11 point as desired.

It is clear font sizes are consistently under-scaled from the settings in the firefox preferences menu.

Where a document specifies a font size, the font is displayed correctly in the document. Where a document does not specify a font size, and falls back to the user preferences, fonts are consistently displayed at only 73% of the size specified in the user preferences.

I have also checked this with Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.4 running on Windows XP Home. I observe exactly the same behaviour.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

this sounds like the DPI issue will look for other bug on dpi nad will mark as dupe.

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

The gtk+2.0 bug fix release (2.11.4-0ubuntu1) for bug #114498 doesn't fix the problem at all. Please be aware that I reported this bug after the release of the gtk2 bug fix. Unmarking duplicate...

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

I have a workaround for this problem: setting the Gnome DPI to 96, which was 86 as probed by X. After increasing the DPI parameter, I get normal font size in firefox rendered web pages, with the side effect that fonts in other places are universally enlarged.

Workaround:
Right click on desktop -> select "Change Desktop Background" -> click "Fonts" tab -> click "Details..." button -> increase the "Resolution" parameter -> click "Close"

[Chris Rowson (christopherrowson)]

Same here, text is too small in firefox (Gutsy) whilst the font size appears normal in other applications.

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

I guess this problem shall be seen on all low DPI (<96) monitors.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

please test the workaround for firefox ourlined in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/firefox/+bug/112349 summary

[Wenzhuo Zhang (wenzhuo)]

Setting layout.css.dpi to 0 (rather than -1) seems to fix the problem.

[Chris Rowson (christopherrowson)]

Agreed, setting layout.css.dpi to 0 (rather than -1) in about:config also seems to fix this problem.

[ricpersi (ricpersi)]

Setting layout.css.dpi to 0 (rather than -1) in about:config solved this issue for me too.

[David Allouche (ddaa)]

Same problem here: after upgrading from feisty to gutsy (just today), all fonts in firefox (either in the chrome or in the page) were too small.

Same change (layout.css.dpi to 0 (rather than -1) in about:config) fixed the issue for me.

[Rémi G. (remi-grolleau)]

Hello!

Same problem with Ubuntu Gutsy Tribe 5 with firefox and thunderbird...

I can't change firefox and thunderbird fonts (in the menu) with the gnome utility (System > Preferences > Appearances > Fonts). On my laptop, a 15 inch wide in 1680x1050, it's very hard to read the text!

I will try the method given before. If you need information, explain me how to find out what you need ;)

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

this should be fixed by some X upgrade in gutsy. If you still see something related please open a new bug.

[Andrey Vihrov (andrey.vihrov)]

This is present in gutsy release, too. My screen has 86 dpi, and all programs but firefox seem to work fine with it.

Attached screenshot.