Changes in Postbox 7
Postbox has made significant investments in how fonts display in the product. A number of changes and bug fixes have been made to achieve consistency across composition and display. Most importantly, composition fonts have changed from points to pixels, and this may require that you change your composition font size in preferences.
The following article will outline how you can get Fonts working just the way you like in Postbox.
Allow Messages to Use Other Fonts
The most important preference can be found in Preferences or Options > Display > Formatting > Advanced button > Allow messages to use other fonts. When selected, you're allowing messages to use the font the authors specified. This setting is set to "ON" by default, and this is the setting we recommend.
When Allow messages to use other fonts is set to "OFF," you're telling Postbox to override the specified font with your own settings.
This preference will have downstream implications for other font preferences, which we will outline below.
Setting Font Preferences
Postbox supports customized settings for "Language Groups," which can be found in Preferences or Options > Display > Formatting > Advanced button. The top field, "Fonts for:" allows you to switch language groups and set the preferences for each group.
- Unicode will drive the display of message content
- Latin will drive the display for "some" of Postbox's user interface elements, such as the message header and Quick Reply.
But note that the currently selected language group will drive the font preferences for message content.
If your head is about to explode, we understand. So rather than try to understand Postbox's internal workings, we recommend following this sequence to set font preferences:
1) First set the preference for the Latin language group for user interface elements
If Allow messages to use other fonts is set to "ON," then Postbox will use the OS system font for UI elements such as the message header and Quick Reply.
If Allow messages to use other fonts is set to "OFF," then Postbox will use the Latin language group preferences for UI elements. To change these:
- Navigate to Preferences or Options > Display > Formatting > Advanced Button
- Under the "Fonts for:" select the "Latin" language group
- Select your font preferences
The Minimum font size will be respected for UI elements whether Allow messages to use other fonts is set to "ON" or "OFF."
2) Set the preference for the Unicode language group for message content
With Latin set, we're now going to switch the language group to Unicode and keep it there for message content. But first, note the following:
If Allow messages to use other fonts is set to "ON," then Postbox will use the fonts specified in the message. If no fonts are specified in the message, Postbox will use the default font specified in Preferences or Options > Display > Formatting.
If Allow messages to use other fonts is set to "OFF," then Postbox will use the Unicode language group preferences for message contents. To change these:
- Navigate to Preferences or Options > Display > Formatting > Advanced Button
- Under the "Fonts for:" select the "Unicode" language group
- Select your font preferences
The Minimum font size will be respected for message content whether Allow messages to use other fonts is set to "ON" or "OFF."
Composition Fonts
In Postbox, you can specify an outgoing font and font point size for HTML message by going to Preferences or Options > Composition > General.
Variable Width
Variable width is the default font. When you choose this option, the font and font size are determined by the recipient's mail client. This is the recommended setting as it allows the recipient of the message to see the font and font size of their choice.
Tip: If you choose variable width as your compose font, then the compose text will render for you using your display font and font size. This is a great way for users who prefer to type with a larger font for visibility purposes to do so without affecting what the recipient will see.
Font Size
If you specify a font other than Variable Width, you can also specify a font point size from the same settings panel.
How to change the non-HTML font or text only font
If you deselect the option to compose messages in HTML, Postbox will use the default Monospace font. To change this font to your liking,
- Navigate to Preferences or Options > Display > Formatting > Advanced button
- Select the font that you desire for "Monospace".
User Interface Font Sizes
You can choose between three interface font sizes that affect the Folders Pane and Message list. To change the interface font size, go to:
Mac: Postbox > Preferences > Display > General
Windows: Tools > Options > Display > General
and choose between Small, Medium, and Large sizes.