shouldn't Mail use Fixed-Width fonts when for reading?

[Dave C.]

In Windows Mail - when I view a plain text email, shouldn't it be using a
fixed-width font, not a proportional font?

Same with composing. I've set up to compose all messages in plain text
only, but when in the composition window is shows what I type in the
selected proportional font (Arial), rather than the fixed-width font
(courier new). Same with this newsgroup question I'm composing right now.
It's set up as "plain text", yet is displaying (on my side) as the selected
proportional font.

Any previous email programs I've used always used a fixed-width font for
plain text.

Dave

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

You can select any font you want. I prefer proportional because
it is easier to read. That's why newspapers and magazines use it.

For reading: Tools, Options Read, Fonts...
For composing: Tools, Options, Compose...

 

[Dave C.]

Perhaps I'm a bit confused on proportional fonts. Is Times New Roman
considered a fixed-width, or a proportional font?

I had already selected what I wanted to use to compose and read with, so
that was not a problem. But my concern was that on any previous Windows
<just about any program> that I've used - if it wasn't the type of document
(or email) that sent formatting instructions (such as HTML, RTF, etc. does),
then it defaulted to plain text/fixed-width font - and usually used Times
New Roman (if I recall correctly) - which I always presumed was a
fixed-width font.

The concern being that if I compose a plain text email or attach a text file
(just 2 examples), I'd like to know it's going to appear pretty much exactly
the same way in my email composition window as it will for the person
receiving it - without having to bog down the user's system with HTML tags,
and needless formatting info.

And here's another way to look at it (trying to explain my curiosity with
Windows Mail differently):

In previous mail programs (such as Outlook - if I'm remembering correctly):

- when you set up to compose in Plain Text - the default font that was
pre-set was usually Courier New or Times New Roman for plain text.

- when you set it up to compose email in HTML, the default font set up for
that was usually Arial (if I'm remembering correctly).

But in Windows Mail, it seems like it was the reverse. I've already change
the compose font - so I don't specifically recall the default font that was
preselected, but I'm fairly certain it was Arial.

And on the screen you mentioned for changing fonts, it defaulted on this:
Fixed Width: Arial
Proportional: Courier New

Seems to me like those are reversed, and that Mail should use the
fixed-width font selected when reading or composing plain text, rather than
the proportional font. .

Isn't that how Outlook and Outlook Express was? Or am I mistaken?

Hope that wasn't too poorly explained. LOL

Dave

You can select any font you want. I prefer proportional because
it is easier to read. That's why newspapers and magazines use it.

For reading: Tools, Options Read, Fonts...
For composing: Tools, Options, Compose...
--
Gary VanderMolen [MS MVP-WLM]

In Windows Mail - when I view a plain text email, shouldn't it be using a
fixed-width font, not a proportional font?

Same with composing. I've set up to compose all messages in plain text
only, but when in the composition window is shows what I type in the
selected proportional font (Arial), rather than the fixed-width font
(courier new). Same with this newsgroup question I'm composing right
now. It's set up as "plain text", yet is displaying (on my side) as the
selected proportional font.

Any previous email programs I've used always used a fixed-width font for
plain text.

Dave

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Times New Roman is proportional.

The default font in which a plain text document is displayed is
strictly up to the program used to view that document. The file
itself has no font information embedded in it.

You have no control over how a recipient sees a plain text file
you've sent him. That depends on *his* font settings.

I don't remember what Windows Mail used for default fonts.
I always change it to Tahoma because that looks best on my
laptop screen.

--
Gary VanderMolen [MS MVP-WLM]

Perhaps I'm a bit confused on proportional fonts. Is Times New Roman
considered a fixed-width, or a proportional font?

I had already selected what I wanted to use to compose and read with, so
that was not a problem. But my concern was that on any previous Windows
<just about any program> that I've used - if it wasn't the type of document
(or email) that sent formatting instructions (such as HTML, RTF, etc. does),
then it defaulted to plain text/fixed-width font - and usually used Times
New Roman (if I recall correctly) - which I always presumed was a
fixed-width font.

The concern being that if I compose a plain text email or attach a text file
(just 2 examples), I'd like to know it's going to appear pretty much exactly
the same way in my email composition window as it will for the person
receiving it - without having to bog down the user's system with HTML tags,
and needless formatting info.

And here's another way to look at it (trying to explain my curiosity with
Windows Mail differently):

In previous mail programs (such as Outlook - if I'm remembering correctly):

- when you set up to compose in Plain Text - the default font that was
pre-set was usually Courier New or Times New Roman for plain text.

- when you set it up to compose email in HTML, the default font set up for
that was usually Arial (if I'm remembering correctly).

But in Windows Mail, it seems like it was the reverse. I've already change
the compose font - so I don't specifically recall the default font that was
preselected, but I'm fairly certain it was Arial.

And on the screen you mentioned for changing fonts, it defaulted on this:
Fixed Width: Arial
Proportional: Courier New

Seems to me like those are reversed, and that Mail should use the
fixed-width font selected when reading or composing plain text, rather than
the proportional font. .

Isn't that how Outlook and Outlook Express was? Or am I mistaken?

Hope that wasn't too poorly explained. LOL

Dave

You can select any font you want. I prefer proportional because
it is easier to read. That's why newspapers and magazines use it.

For reading: Tools, Options Read, Fonts...
For composing: Tools, Options, Compose...
--
Gary VanderMolen [MS MVP-WLM]

In Windows Mail - when I view a plain text email, shouldn't it be using a
fixed-width font, not a proportional font?

Same with composing. I've set up to compose all messages in plain text
only, but when in the composition window is shows what I type in the
selected proportional font (Arial), rather than the fixed-width font
(courier new). Same with this newsgroup question I'm composing right
now. It's set up as "plain text", yet is displaying (on my side) as the
selected proportional font.

Any previous email programs I've used always used a fixed-width font for
plain text.

Dave

 

[Dave C.]

Thanks again, Gary, for your kind responses. Just a few more replies below:

Times New Roman is proportional.

Oops. I must have assumed it was a fixed width. Thanks for clarification
on that.

The default font in which a plain text document is displayed is
strictly up to the program used to view that document. The file
itself has no font information embedded in it.

Kind of my point.

You have no control over how a recipient sees a plain text file
you've sent him. That depends on *his* font settings.

Right. But (regardless of fixed-width or proportional, I guess) it used to
be fairly easy to presume that the majority of people using any previous
version of Windows (at least - any that I would ever commonly communicate
with) left their fonts set to their factory defaults for programs like
Notepad or Outlook (or Outlook Express). Thus, the text would likely look
pretty much the same because they're using the same fonts as I did - the
factory default.

It is possible that I reset my display fonts in Outlook years ago and am
just not remembering it. But I could swear that everything (that reads
plain text) on any previous versions of Windows defaulted to Times New
Roman, or some similar font (and from what I understand, Apple computers
tend to have plain text defaults that are very similar as well).

It just seemed odd to me that Windows Mail happened to default on something
like Arial for plain text now, after a history of defaulting on serif type
fonts.

I don't remember what Windows Mail used for default fonts.
I always change it to Tahoma because that looks best on my laptop screen.

Sounds like a good tip. I'm on a laptop as well. I recall using Tahoma
once for a logo and it looked real nice. I'll check it out.

Thanks a bunch for the clarifications and replies!
Dave

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Times New Roman was popular in the past, and I think you are
correct in saying it was the default in Outlook Express.