Customizing Font Size in Gmail: A Comprehensive Guide

Google's Gmail comes with a limited number of font sizes, making it challenging to achieve the exact visual style you desire. This guide will help you overcome that limitation by exploring both technical and user interface tricks to adjust the font size in Gmail.

Custom Font Sizes in Composing New Emails

By default, Gmail offers a predefined set of font sizes: Small, Normal, Large, and Huge. However, if you want to apply a specific font size not listed, you can use a technical workaround involving HTML. Here's how:

Step 1: Compose a New Email

Start by composing a new email as usual.

Step 2: Switch to Plain Text Mode

Some users might find it useful to switch to plain text mode if they're not comfortable with HTML coding directly. This step is crucial as it allows you to insert HTML code without triggering the WYSIWYG editor.

Step 3: Insert HTML

Insert the following HTML code into the body of your email:

Replace 20px with your desired font size. This will allow you to use a custom font size not available in the standard options.

Step 4: Use an HTML Editor

If you're not comfortable with direct HTML coding, you can use an HTML editor to create your styled text and then copy and paste it into your Gmail compose window.

Step 5: Send the Email

After formatting your text, send the email as usual. Keep in mind that different email clients may render HTML emails differently, so the font size might not appear exactly as intended for all recipients.

Changing Incoming Email Font Size

If you're receiving emails and want to change the font size, you can do so through your browser settings instead of adjusting each email separately. Here's how to change the font size in incoming emails:

Method 1: Browser Font Size Settings

1. Click on the three dots in the top-right of the screen.

2. Click on Settings (depending on your browser).

3. Scroll down to the Appearance box and click on it.

4. Click on Font Size and choose Large or Smaller as per your preference. If the default options are not enough, click on Customize Font.

5. Adjust the font size, minimum font size, and text style to your liking.

This method changes the incoming font size without the need to zoom and scroll endlessly. It allows for more consistent and comfortable reading experience.

Web-Based Solutions

Google's Gmail limits the font size options only for composing new emails. For reading incoming emails, you have two options:

Option 1: Browser Zoom

To zoom the entire Gmail interface, including toolbars, buttons, and menus, click on the three dots, then Settings, and scroll down to Appearance. Choose Large or Smaller font size. However, this will make the usable area narrower.

Option 2: V7 Gmail Zoom Extension

To zoom only the relevant parts of the email content, use the V7 Gmail Zoom extension for Chrome. This extension allows you to zoom only the email content and list of emails in the inbox, providing a more focused and comfortable reading experience.

Conclusion

While Gmail offers limited font size options, users can employ HTML workarounds or browser settings to achieve the desired font size. The V7 Gmail Zoom extension is a valuable tool for those who want a more versatile and user-friendly experience.