Change font sizes

[cheezey]

There's already a Tips & Tricks post for fonts, but it's a little brief and the question keeps cropping up so I thought I'd expand it.

Users using CRT TV's or those just wanting a bit more readability often change the font sizes in MediaPortal, so here's how to do it.

A couple of points first:

1. These changes are system wide, i.e. all MediaPortal screens text will change.
2. These changes are skin specific, so you need to complete this change for the skin you're using.
3. These changes are overwritten when you reinstall MediaPortal.

To change the font sizes in MediaPortal look in your skin folder and locate the fonts.xml file (e.g. C:\Program Files\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\skin\BlueTwo\fonts.xml) This file contains the font definition used by the skin.

A font section looks like

  <font>
    <name>font10</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>10</height>
  </font>

The line you're interested in is the <height> line, just change this value to something else to increase or decrease the size as required. e.g. I change font10 to this:

  <font>
    <name>font10</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>14</height>
  </font>

This enlarges all text using from 10 point to 14 points.

Repeat this for each font size you want to change, I typically change all fonts up to and including font18.

  <font>
    <name>font10</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>14</height>
  </font>
  <font>
    <name>font12</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>16</height>
  </font>
  <font>
    <name>font13</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>17</height>
  </font>
  <font>
    <name>font14</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>18</height>
  </font>
  <font>
    <name>font16</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>20</height>
  </font>
  <font>
    <name>font18</name>
    <filename>Arial</filename>
    <height>24</height>
  </font>

Once you've completed this save your fonts.xml file.

MediaPortal caches fonts for each skin so for your changes to take affect you have to delete this cache, you do this by deleting the /fonts/ folder in the mediaportal/skin/yourskin/ folder for 0.2.2.0 and below or the mediaportal/cache/skin/yourskin/ folder for 0.2.2.1 and above, MediaPortal will then re-cache the fonts at the next startup using your modified sizes.

That's it, have fun. :wink:

[j1nx]

Thank you so much!

A old CRT TV in the bedroom at the other end of the room, makes it hard to read. This was exactly what i needed.

[Efros]

Nice one, my failing eyesight and 12 feet to the TV means the existing font sizes were barely readable on my 27 incher, 35 incher will be arriving within the month!! This makes reading the TVguide much much easier.

[Paranoid Delusion]

Hi Cheezey

Nice, Clear and too the FONT

8) :lol:

[eric.c.mi]

This is exactly what i'v been looking for.
thanks alot for the post

[sonome]

I can't believe I missed this thread the first time! Thank you very much!

[omri_ro]

a lot

[dcarrion87]

This is great! Thanks

[marson]

Thanks , just what i wanted ,nice large fonts...........

Just to help anyone who reads this , and has trouble on how to change
The fonts.xml file , just right click the fonts.xml file, and then click edit , then make the changes above ,then click save as ..

Was not sure how to do it myself...but all sorted now .. Thanks again

[Mkoorn]

tvp