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Customizing Fonts

This section describes how to customize the font settings for the desktop and frequently-used applications.

If you have difficulty with the default font type and font size that is used on the desktop and desktop background, you can customize the font settings to suit your needs.

You can specify individual font settings for the following desktop components and applications:

  • Entire desktop (excluding the desktop background)
  • Desktop background only
  • Terminal
  • Text Editor
  • Help
  • Web Browser

3.1.3.3.1. Customizing Desktop Fonts

The Appearance preference tool allows you to specify the default fonts for the desktop.

To start the Appearance preference tool, choose System ▸ Preferences ▸ Appearance. The Fonts tab contains the following options:

Application Font

Click on this button to select a default font to use for the text that is displayed on the desktop, including the text displayed on the windows and dialogs associated with GNOME-compliant applications and panel applications.

If you use a predefined theme and you click on the Apply Font button, the font that is associated with the theme overrides the font from the Appearance preference tool.

Document Font

Click on this button to select a font to use for displaying documents.

Desktop Font

Click on this button to select a font to use for the text that is displayed on the desktop background only.

Window Title Font

Click on this button to select a font to use for the text that is displayed in the titlebar area of windows.

Fixed Width Font

Click on this button to select a font to use for editing documents.

Font Rendering

To specify how to render fonts on the desktop, select one of the following options:

  • Monochrome
  • Best Shapes
  • Best Contrast
  • Subpixel Smoothing

If you use large fonts, you may need to change the size of panes in some applications, such as the file manager and Help browser.

For more information about the Appearance preference tool and fonts, see the User Guide.

3.1.3.3.2. Customizing Application Fonts

By default, GNOME applications use the default font specified in the Appearance preference tool. Some applications allow this default font to be customized. These applications are:

Customizing Desktop Background Objects Meeting Specific Accessibility Needs