• From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Topic: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

This should be useful for those users experiencing super tiny fonts when using a LCD for a monitor.

First create a ~/.Xdefaults file (if you don't already have one), paste in:

Xft.dpi: 96

(change the number accordingly)

And reboot. Thats all.

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  • pvsage
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  • From: Section Six
  • Registered: 2009-10-18
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Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

Also helpful for those of us seeing supersize fonts e.g. on a Mini running XF#!.

How do you come up with the right DPI?  Well, if you take the screen's horizontal pixel count and divide by the screen's physical width, that will give you a technically accurate number, but on my Mini I get 132, which is real close to the XFCE default.  96dpi, while inaccurate, feels much more comfortable on the wee netbook screen.

while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );
  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

I believe 96 is the standard DPI in Windows tongue

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  • pvsage
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Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

...and on a 14" diagonal 1024x768 monitor, that's real close to accurate.  I guess that feels comfortable on the tiny 8.9" widescreen because it's closer to my face?  Probably because it's a sharper display too.

I don't know why this reminds me that my old 9" Mac SE screen was one dot per point (72 points per inch).  Wow, talk about your obscure desktop publishing arcana.

while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );
  • Registered: 2010-02-03
  • Posts: 2

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

Hmmm, I'm having trouble getting this to work. I'm running at 118dpi here and none of the above seem to work.

Can anyone point me somewhere where I can investigate this further?

Thanks

  • From: Deep in The Swedish Woods
  • Registered: 2008-11-28
  • Posts: 578

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

I have mine in ~/.Xresources, it looks like this:

Xft.dpi: 75

As you can see, I use 75 - debian standard I think (res 1024x600 - font: Bitstream Vera Sans 12)

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  • From: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
  • Registered: 2009-12-11
  • Posts: 27

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

On a 42" LCD I'm using

add under section "device" on my nvidia configured /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Option "DPI" "120 x 120"

log out and back in and you should be gtg smile

Thought I'd add this, so if something else here doesn't work for someone they can try it.
For some strange reason the other one didn't seem to work for me.

Edit - Just noticed it doesn't seem to work for nick either, try the one above, it should work for you smile

Last edited by Damon (2010-02-03 21:31:26)

  • Registered: 2009-11-13
  • Posts: 102

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

If after doing this, someone still have big/small fonts, add the following to autostart.sh or .xinitrc (my Xdefaults is never interpreted unless I run this):

xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults
Crunchbang Statler | ArchLinux | ArchBang
  • Registered: 2010-02-03
  • Posts: 2

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

danielrmt - thanks for that

xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults

in .config/openbox/autostart.sh did the trick nicely.

  • From: Berkeley, CA USA
  • Registered: 2010-04-05
  • Posts: 44

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

@danielrmt,
Worked for me too, thanks!

  • anfd
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  • Registered: 2011-07-11
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Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

But don't we have that xfce4-panel command that just didn't make it to the OB GUI?

  Hi Everyone ...   wink

  • pvsage
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Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

I'll take this one, anonymous.

Please don't bump such an old thread, especially if you have little to add to the subject.
/closed

while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );
  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Howto: Change DPI for fonts

Actually for Tips and Tricks section, I think bumping is ok.

@anfd - Xfce does have a builtin GUI for changing the font DPI however Openbox does not. Also like pvsage was saying, this is an old thread. I made it before corenominal even started working on Statler (I think) so there was no Xfce #!.

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