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fonts for signature and outgoing messages

  • 1 cavab
  • 1 has this problem
  • 25 views
  • Last reply by Matt

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I set up a signature as an html file and am attaching that to all outgoing messages. But the people receiving my emails are seeing different fonts for the message body. How to make them so they are the same? I went to options (Tbird 68) and have 'fixed width - medium font' selected. Under 'Formatting - fonts and colors' I have Arial size 16/ fonts for Latin; proportional 'serif size 16'/ serif, sans serif and monospace all 'arial - 16. Minimum font size 16. Allow messages to use other fonts unchecked and use fixed width font for plain text messages unchecked. Anything I'm missing here?

I set up a signature as an html file and am attaching that to all outgoing messages. But the people receiving my emails are seeing different fonts for the message body. How to make them so they are the same? I went to options (Tbird 68) and have 'fixed width - medium font' selected. Under 'Formatting - fonts and colors' I have Arial size 16/ fonts for Latin; proportional 'serif size 16'/ serif, sans serif and monospace all 'arial - 16. Minimum font size 16. Allow messages to use other fonts unchecked and use fixed width font for plain text messages unchecked. Anything I'm missing here?

All Replies (1)

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Sounds like a dogs breakfast to me really.

Lets start at the begin.

1. Font sizes are in pixels, so 16pixels is about 30% smaller than 16 points. 2. Not letting an incoming email to set it's own font will also often break formatting of the email. While folks using screen readers and some other specialty tools might need to force a font face. Generally we do not need it to read an email from someone. 3. The use of fixed width fonts in plain text messages make them being plain text very clear. While they are rare these days, not using a fix width font will probably mess up formatting from those that still adhere to this old standard. Even if it is only ancient ASCII art such as used in this old style of signature

  |\_/|        ****************************    (\_/)
 / @ @ \       *  "Purrrfectly pleasant"  *   (='.'=)
( > º < )      *       Poppy Prinz        *   (")_(")
 `>>x<<´       *   (pprinz@example.com)   *
 /  O  \       ****************************

I include it again as proportional just so you can see the difference. Not with your Thunderbird settings both will probably look bad but not so on the forum web site.

|\_/|        ****************************    (\_/)

/ @ @ \ * "Purrrfectly pleasant" * (='.'=) ( > º < ) * Poppy Prinz * (")_(") `>>x<<´ * (pprinz@example.com) * / O \ ****************************

4. HTML generally contains font information in the HTML files. Especially if you use a word processor like Word to create it. That is one of the reasons we ask folks to create their signature with Thunderbird composer. It also makes the chosen font the one included in the saved HTML. The current HTML specification uses CSS to specify font information, but word processors and unfortunately Thunderbird itself are still playing in a legacy world.

I suggest you examine the source of the HTML signature file and ensure that fonts are specified in pixels and are of the same name as used in Thunderbird.