Request: Make font size of Notepad++'s internal dialogs adjustable

ludamo 0

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ludamo 0

Small font size in Windows dialogs with high res monitors has been an issue for a long time. One way in which I have attempted to adjust for this is by editing a font by changing its “EM unit size” and specifying that modified font in the registry as the dialog font. It is somewhat involved but once done is relatively permanent (apart from the occasional major Windows Update). The procedure is as follows:

Download and install Type Light 3.2 a free Windows font editor.
Choose a free dialog type font to edit (either one already installed or downloaded).
Make a backup copy of font to the Desktop and open that in the font editor.
Go to the menu Font > Metrics… and find the first edit box “EM Unit Size” - view the entry in the Help PDF on this for more information.
To enlarge the font reduce the figure from 2048 to something like 1820 to have an 8 point font display at size 9 point.
Other numbers are 1638 (10pt), 1560 (10.5pt), 1489 (11pt). Or if the initial figure is 1000 (for OpenType fonts) then just reduce accordingly.
Click on the Advanced button and tick Calculate automatically then OK, then OK.
Go to menu Font > Rename Font… and add a number to the internal Font names reflecting the change.
Save the altered font as a new file with a name reflecting its relative size e.g. font_name_9.ttf
Compare the font in Windows Font Viewer to see if it is larger and suitable.
Install the font in Windows by R-clicking the font file and selecting <Install for all users>. This will install the file to the C:\Windows\Fonts\ folder. Installing it throught the Windows Font Viewer OR by drap-and-drop onto the Fonts folder will instead install it to C:\User<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts.
Go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes in the registry
Export this Key as a backup (normal warnings apply when editing the registry - you may wish to save a Windows restore point before hand - search for “Create a Windows restore point”)
Edit the entries for “MS Shell Dlg” and “MS Shell Dlg 2” to point to the custom font (use its new internal font name NOT its file name). Reboot and dialogs that use these 2 virtual fonts should now be easier to read.

Alan Kilborn

@ludamo-0

Can you paste some screenshots, say of Notepad++, with the results of the technique you’ve described?
It’s not that I’m skeptical, it’s just that I don’t have the courage to try it myself, but I’d like to see the effect. :-)

ludamo 0

Sure. The first 2 images are of the default font arrangement.
NP++_Dialog.jpg
NP++_Font.jpg
then the next 2 are after font and registry modification.
NP++_Dialog+.jpg
NP++_Font+.jpg
The change seems minor but I think discernible as I have only enlarged the Dialog Font from 8 to 9. A larger effect could be had by using a 9.5 or 10 size modified font, depending on user choice.

ludamo 0

To make it more apparent the following are using a 10 point dialog font

NP++_Dialog_10.jpg
NP++_Font_10.jpg

Alan Kilborn

@ludamo-0

So this modification would make an already-huge Find window even bigger? :-)

One of the big downsides of N++ in my opinion is the intrusiveness of the Find window on a single monitor system. With two or more monitors Find is workable.

ludamo 0

Unfortunately my NP++ images could be a bit misleading as I had it not full screen. Also registry editor was not full screen. Sorry about that.
With a full screen NP++ (1920 x 1200 at Win 10 DPI x 1.25) for me the Search window is about one sixth the size of the screen with the Dialog Font at 9 point. Also the settings dialog shown above is about one fifth screen size. I can see from reviewing the above images that the overall size of dialogs is increased slightly with these font changes. Perhaps there will be a trade off with any font resizing. I have used this method ever since XP days and found it mostly helpful though very occasionally the control text is truncated in some program dialogs.

ludamo 0

NP++ full screen with Find Dialog.

NP++_Dialog_9.jpg

Alan Kilborn

@ludamo-0 said in Request: Make font size of Notepad++'s internal dialogs adjustable:

NP++ full screen with Find Dialog.

It might be hard to make conclusions from that.
Your Find window looks to be user-sized to be a bit wider than the default (minimum width). Plus I’m not “amazed” by bigger dialog text in that screenshot.

For reference, here’s the same full-screen shot on my PC:

Don’t worry, I’m not doubting your technique, I’m just looking for enough evidence to make me want to try it. :-)

ludamo 0

To be more exact, my Find Dialog (minimum sized) with the 8pt (default Tahoma) font is 677 x 430 px and with the modified 9pt font is 772 x 430 px. The height is the same but as you noticed it is wider. 772/677 = 1.14 and 9/8 = 1.125 so the width is increased a little bit more than you would expect from just the change in font size but somehow the height is the same. Thanks for an interesting exercise. For me once I have the modified fonts, changing back and forth is basically just a registry edit and a reboot (though for others of course their mileage may vary).