Serial Port Font Size

Development Tools IDE 2.x
1

As someone with visual impairments, I need to control the font sizes so I can read them. I found that changing the font in the edit window does not seem to change the font size in the serial monitor window. How do I change the font size in the serial monitor window so I can read it? I am using the 2.x IDE.

2

Hi, Have you tried editing the preference file directly in the Ardunio15 folder; v=https://support.arduino.cc/hc/en-us/articles/4402771781522-How-to-change-IDE-text-font-settings?_gl=1*1dpun0*_ga*NDgwMjExMzgxLjE2Njg3ODEzMDc.*_ga_NEXN8H46L5*MTY2OTg4NjkzNS40MS4xLjE2Njk4ODk1MjkuMC4wLjA.

3

Can't get the issue. Going under Preferences, if I change "Editor font size" also changes the serial monitor characters one:
image

So if I first have 12px:

image
image961×185 12.6 KB

setting it to 16 I get:
image
image993×199 8.54 KB

4

@docdoc, is that IDE 2.0?

5

Nope, 1.8.19, sorry I forgot to mention it.
But I don't suggest to use 2.0 as it's still too "new", and pretty buggy: I understand it "looks better" and it's more "Visual Studio-like" but if this issue is part of that crap, I really suggest you to switch back to 1.8.* (portable, no installer) waiting for a 2.1 release. Sorry to say that, but if you need that, either downgrade or use any other serial terminal (like putty, MobaXterm, and so on...) instead of the internal serial monitor.

PS: my personal policy is to avoid any *.0 version, on any software I have to do with: when major release changes it means the software had yes some improvements, but quite often suffers new issues. Better wait a *.1 version, ever.

6

I think that it's currently not possible; see Changing font in Serial Monitor view · Issue #1495 · arduino/arduino-ide · GitHub

I've moved your topic to the dedicated IDE 2.0 section of the forum.

You missed that @flounder is using 2.0 :wink:

7

Yep, I know I missed that and apologized, but I then said I advise against using the 2.0 IDE unless it'll get to 2.1..:wink:

8

You would have loved my version numbering. All applications that I ever wrote in my life had release version numbering 0.x where x was always 1 or higher. :smiley: And they have been in use for 10 years or more in a professional broadcast environment.

9

Hehehe... Ok, when minor version is greater than 0 my method still applies.:wink:

Different thing is if the major is 0, as it usually means "unstable", and/or "incomplete", and/or "not released", thus "don't use in production!". But if it's a your "private" software you can label it anyway you want... :sunglasses: :nerd_face:

10

Does the Windows App of ArduinoIDE not recognize enlarged text using Ctrl+, reduced text using Ctrl-, and return-to-default using Ctrl0 ?

11

Hi @flounder

The behavior of "Increase Font Size" depends on the setting of the "Interface scale" checkbox in the "Preferences" dialog.

When you have that box unchecked, "Increase Font Size" only affects the font size in the editor panel. When you have that box checked, "Increase Font Size" scales up the entire Arduino IDE UI, including the text in Serial Monitor.

I'll provide instructions:

Setup

  1. Connect an Arduino board to your computer.
  2. Select the board and port in Arduino IDE.
  3. Upload a sketch to the board that prints to Serial:
    void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
}
void loop() {
  Serial.println("hello");
  delay(1000);
}
  4. Open the Serial Monitor view if it is not already open.

Sync Editor and Serial Monitor font sizes

It is likely you have increased the font size in the editor so that it is different from the font size in Serial Monitor. When you scale the Arduino IDE interface, this would cause the relative font sizes in each to be mismatched. So the first step is to decrease the editor font size until it matches Serial Monitor:

  1. Select File > Preferences... from the Arduino IDE menus.
  2. Uncheck the checkbox next to "Interface scale: > ☑ Automatic" if it is checked.
  3. Click the OK button.
  4. Select Edit > Decrease Font Size from the Arduino IDE menus until the font size in the editor is the same as the font size in Serial Monitor.

Scale up Arduino IDE user interface

  1. Select File > Preferences... from the Arduino IDE menus.
  2. Check the checkbox next to "Interface scale: > ☐ Automatic".
  3. Click the OK button.
  4. Select Edit > Increase Font Size from the Arduino IDE menus until the scale of the Arduino IDE UI is to your liking.
12

Yes. I used the menu paths in the instructions I shared for the sake of simplicity, but you can use the keyboard shortcuts if you prefer. They are shown right in the menu, so it's no secret.

Yes. This is the "Reset Zoom" command, so it only works when the "Interface scale" preference is set to "Automatic".

13

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