W3CWeb Accessibility initiative

WAI: Strategies, guidelines, resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities

How to Change Text Size or Colors

Page Contents


The WAI Web site is designed to let you change the text size, text and background colors, and other display settings through standard browser settings.

This page shows you how to use some of these browser display settings.

To Change Text Size

Most Web browsers include functionality to let you increase or decrease the text in a Web page. For example, to increase text size:

Browser Example Menu Items Macintosh Shortcut Windows Shortcut
Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer screen capture as described in the page

View >
Text Size >
Largest
. .
Firefox,
Netscape
Firefox/Netscape screen capture as described in the page
View >
Text Size >
Increase
Command+ Ctrl++
Opera Opera screen capture as described in the page
View >
Zoom >
%

Command+

+

or

0

Safari Safari screen capture as described in the page View >
Make Text Bigger
Command+ .

Why doesn't this work with some other Web sites?

The browser settings on this page should work when browsers and Web sites meet WAI guidelines and are designed for accessibility, flexibility, and user control. However, some browsers do not provide as much user control, and some Web sites are designed to defeat browser settings. Text resizing does not work well in browsers and Web sites that do not meet accessibility guidelines.

For a Plain Layout View

Turning off the style sheet gives a plain layout view, which:

Browser Example Menu Items
Firefox Firefox screen capture as described in the page View >
Page Style >
No Style
Opera Opera screen capture as described in the page View >
Style >
User Mode

Other Text and Color Changes

Many browsers provide functionality to set different aspects of font and color. Below are examples of how to access this functionality.

Browser Example To access functionality:
Firefox Firefox screen capture as described in the page

Windows Menu items:Tools > Options
Macintosh Menu items: Firefox > Preferences

In dialog box: General (in the left pane), Fonts & Colors (button)

Opera .

Windows Menu items: Tools > Preferences
Macintosh Menu items: Opera > Preferences

In dialog box: Fonts and Page Style (in the left pane)

Should all Web sites include instructions like this?

It is not an accessibility requirement that Web sites include information on changing text sizes and colors like this page. WAI chose to include this information to help people who want to know how to change their browser settings and may not know how.

Web browsers and Web sites should be designed following WAI guidelines so that people can easily change text sizes and colors.

Note: No Browser Endorsement

W3C WAI does not endorse specific Web browsers and does not recommend one browser over another. While some common browsers are included in this page, mention of a specific browser does not imply endorsement or recommendation.

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