Why aren't fonts actual size??

[Milo_Mindbender]

So, when using word 2004 on a mac...why aren't the fonts showing up
actual size? ie: at 100% zoom a 12 pt font looks more like 8, and an
inch on the ruler looks more like 3/4 inch.

Other systems I use (linux in particular) figure out or are given the
DPI of the monitor and adjust the fonts so they come out actual size.

If fonts aren't getting adjusted to the monitor's DPI, doesn't this
mean that on the new 27" imac the fonts are going to look even
smaller??

 

[John McGhie]

Yeah, good question.

On Mac OS, the application does not know what the resolution of the monitor
is, it knows only what size it is. Mac OS X assumes the monitor is either
72 or 96 dpi.

"Resolution Independent" user interfaces are "coming" in Mac OS X. Windows
got them in Vista (perhaps the only good thing about Vista?). Apple is
still working on it: there's a rumour that it will be finally enabled in OS
10.6.2.

But other rumours say not before 10.7.

Cheers

So, when using word 2004 on a mac...why aren't the fonts showing up
actual size? ie: at 100% zoom a 12 pt font looks more like 8, and an
inch on the ruler looks more like 3/4 inch.

Other systems I use (linux in particular) figure out or are given the
DPI of the monitor and adjust the fonts so they come out actual size.

If fonts aren't getting adjusted to the monitor's DPI, doesn't this
mean that on the new 27" imac the fonts are going to look even
smaller??

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]