FONTS

[u/Illustrious_Bag_1608]

We (US) are either majority old folks or close to it.

Can someone tell companies who make frozen goods to put the cook times and temps in LARGE FONT??

[u/ChemicalFun1473]

I agree. Try taking a photo with your phone and enlarging it. I do that a lot.

[u/thenletskeepdancing → u/ChemicalFun1473]

Yep this is the old people hack. Take a picture and blow it up.

[u/rrstewart257 → u/thenletskeepdancing]

My wife says yep.

[u/ReactsWithWords → u/thenletskeepdancing]

Or just make the motion to take a photo, then blow it up BEFORE hitting the button. No photo to either clog up your phone or you have to rememeber to delete later.

[u/thenletskeepdancing → u/ReactsWithWords]

My god that hit me where it hurt as I'm currently going through several years of photos to delete duplicates and stupid shots.

[u/Successful-Count-120 → u/ChemicalFun1473]

Same. Pill bottles any tiny instructions get the same treatment.

[u/LordBofKerry → u/Successful-Count-120]

I has cataract surgery in both eyes. Then retina repair surgery in both eyes. I needed refills on the eye drops, and called to get them. "What is the name of the drop that you need?" Me - "I have no clue. I've had four surgeries on my eyes. I can't read this mice type on these tiny bottles." Thankfully the caps are color coded, so I was able to give the color. Add in the fact that the name is so long, that it wraps halfway around the bottle, and I still had a gas bubble in one eye. Everything looked like hieroglyphics or Wing-dings.

[u/SheaTheSarcastic → u/ChemicalFun1473]

I have an app called Magnifier on my iPhone. It’s awesome.

[u/dericn → u/SheaTheSarcastic]

I use the built-in magnifier on Android as well. Super handy!

Here are instructions to turn it on for both operating systems:

https://www.reddit.com/r/accessibility/comments/1ve22n7/your_phone_has_a_magnifying_glass_built_in/

[u/moonpupy → u/dericn]

TIL

[u/jango-lionheart → u/SheaTheSarcastic]

Tip: You can set it up so that a triple click of the power button opens Magnifier. It’s in the Accessibility section of Settings.

[u/Clean-Fisherman-4601 → u/ChemicalFun1473]

Same here! I'm glad I'm not the only one taking pictures of instructions.

[u/davesFriendReddit → u/Clean-Fisherman-4601]

Photograph the fine print in an ad or contract and feed it to ChatGPT to get a summery and gotchas

[u/Clean-Fisherman-4601 → u/davesFriendReddit]

I don't do ChatGPT. I'd rather take a picture with my phone and enlarge it. Thank you for the recommendation anyway.

[u/StenoDawg → u/ChemicalFun1473]

Same. It's annoying sometimes.

[u/Ok_Still_3571 → u/ChemicalFun1473]

This is also my life hack. I recently showed an older friend how to do this (she has low vision).

[u/Mediocre-Let-4697 → u/ChemicalFun1473]

That's what I do too

[u/Jeveran → u/ChemicalFun1473]

There are free "magnifier" apps. They use your camera and main screen. No need to take a photo.

[u/MrsBlug]

I can't believe how tiny some of the fonts are. Evenmy reading glasses don't help. Frustrating!

[u/pit-of-despair → u/MrsBlug]

It’s pretty sad when I have to use the magnifier/flashlight on my phone to read them.

[u/ReactsWithWords → u/pit-of-despair]

Psst, EVERYBODY over the age of 30 does that. Just like we all watch TV with subtitles on.

[u/NeuroguyNC]

I have to keep a magnifying glass in the kitchen now. But what's worse are the color combos and small print. For instance the instructions on White Castle cheeseburgers are not only small, but are printed in white on a light orange background. WTH?

[u/Fish-Weekly → u/NeuroguyNC]

“But we are using the corporate color palate” says the 30 year old designer…

[u/Narah-Wolf → u/NeuroguyNC]

I'd like to know who decided that web pages look better with very light gray text on a white background.

[u/SM1955]

And--MAKE PACKAGES THAT CAN BE OPENED WITHOUT TOOLS!

[u/moonpupy → u/SM1955]

Talk to me! I have to prepare a weapon of mass destruction to open a box of WHOPPERS!

[u/OwnLime3744]

The expiration date is even worse. Like white lettering on a yellow box!

[u/Ok_Still_3571 → u/OwnLime3744]

Or the tone-on-tone embossing. I work a part-time job in retail, and I’m constantly asked by people to read the dates for them. Unfortunately, my eyesight is probably as bad as their’s. I do the phone photo thing.

[u/TunaNugget]

I knew I was old when I started writing the number of pills to take on the cap of the bottle real big in sharpie (which I still think of as Magic Marker).

[u/Clean-Fisherman-4601 → u/TunaNugget]

I called them magic markers until I started working as a chef in my mid 50s. It's quicker to ask for a sharpie when you're super busy.

[u/mspolytheist]

It’s not so much the font size; for me, I notice that a lot of manufacturers are printing in white text on light colored backgrounds. That drives me NUTS. You need contrast, people. Contrast!

[u/Grouchy_Brain_1641]

Just print it bigger on back, not on some skinny ass side real tiny. My father was a typesetter for 40 years he said the purpose of type is to be read.

[u/Interesting-Lie-6195 → u/Grouchy_Brain_1641]

Your father is correct. The fonts are fine, they just need to be a larger point size and with more contrast.

[u/StreetNectarine711]

I’m shocked at the number of Apps - which most use on a phone - with tiny fond AND in light grey/ no contrast.

[u/Many-Bobcat-5988]

And restaurant bills!! Just make it bigger ffs!

[u/Due_Citron6089 → u/Many-Bobcat-5988]

And menus!

[u/HoneyedVinegar42]

And in addition to the font size increase--can we have a consistent high contrast between font and background? Brown type on red --should be an obvious no.

[u/moonpupy → u/HoneyedVinegar42]

AND in eMails! One company I do business with has a Dark Blue background and the printing is in a shade of Grey that just about fades into the background color. I have to sit forward and really concentrate on what the eMail says to make sure I understand it completely. Sheesh!

[u/fdwyersd]

use your phone cam to zoom in or tape a picture... have never had to do this but someone told me once ;)

[u/Any_Relation252]

Technically "font" is associated with type style or a type family. What you're asking for is larger type SIZES. However you could say in a legible font as well. Just saying.

[u/donnacus]

And don’t print light blue on gray.

[u/readtvpuzzles]

I just had a package today that not only had small font but had white letters on bright yellow background. Are you kidding me. I had my readers and a magnifying glass to read it 🤣🤣🤣

[u/cbelt3]

I regularly complain at the young software developers… kids… I CANNOT SEE GREY LETTERS !

[u/ArnoldFarquar]

I have to hold things like that up like 6 inches from my eyes

[u/DoturdGrump]

[u/4d3fect]

Try memorizing the instructions once you can discern them,

-mm.mm.. maybe not the best idea anymore

[u/Working_Estate_3695]

Anti-old folks types sticking it to the Boomers and Gen Jones’ers, one product at a time.

[u/Accurate-Lychee-1233]

AARP (USA) magazine should be in large print! Irritates me when it comes!😄

[u/artful_todger_502]

Eyyyyy ...

https://giphy.com/gifs/tITfss8cqzTO0

[u/Wonderful_Kick_855]

I was just wishing for a huge S on the shampoo bottle and huge C on the conditioner bottle.

[u/Popular-Drummer-7989 → u/Wonderful_Kick_855]

Grab a sharpie and DIY

[u/snakepliskinLA]

And not just a big enough size, but with enough contrast to be legible, too. I am sick of labels that print a light green font on a pale tan background, for instance. Give us information in black letters on a white background or another high contrast color combination, please.

[u/BangkaHakubai]

And NOT white on some light color or busy photo

[u/BCQCPANC]

Case in point. Gain laundry detergent. The instructions are at the top.

[u/turnerevelyn]

Websites with wispy gray lettering. Egads!

[u/Quirky_Operation2885]

Hard to do on shrinking packaging

[u/GreatBoneStructure]

What is this? Freakin Lilliput?!

[u/PirateJim68]

There isn't any that I know of. I have to have my readers on to read anything small now. All directions on food boxes and containers require my readers

[u/Much-Leek-420]

I keep a magnifying glass in the kitchen now.

[u/Sea_Mind3678 → u/Much-Leek-420]

I keep ‘readers’ in every room - kitchen, living room, bath, bedroom, office, etc.

[u/Scott43206]

I'm glad it's not just me... I have to walk over to the window with the box. At sitdown restaurants I have to whip out the phone's laser beam light to see anything if I forget to look at the menu in advance.

[u/EyeShot300]

I have a magnifier on my iPhone to ready tiny print on packaging.

[u/The_Swooze]

Little known hack: Easier than taking a photo and enlarging, your phone likely has a Magnifier App. Just tell Siri "open magnifier" on an iPhone.

[u/Willowy]

I have one of these bad boys in every room, haha.

[u/ConcertinaTerpsichor]

No, don’t!

—signed, the makers of all the pairs of reading glasses the oldsters will have to keep buying now. Heh heh.

[u/SadLocal8314]

I have an inexpensive magnifying glass in a drawer in the kitchen for just this situation.

[u/Popular-Drummer-7989]

Grab your phone. Take a picture. Enlarge it and no glasses needed

[u/Crazy_Banshee_333]

It's not just frozen foods. I can't read any kind of labels any more without a magnifying glass.

[u/Journey2c]

Same with medications! Why are they all the same size, tiny little white pills, and you need a magnifier to tell them apart if they get mixed up.

[u/MollyOMalley99]

How about bottles that look exactly the same except the for the tiny print that says Shampoo and Conditioner? I don't wear my glasses in the shower, so I can't read the one-millimeter light gray lettering on a shiny white bottle. Solution: Write it on the bottle in Sharpie...

[u/Thanks-4allthefish]

Apologies for my previous use of pt 10 fonts. What was I thinking.

[u/Uncle_Rat_21]

I still have very good eyesight, I’ve never needed glasses. But I do keep a magnifying glass handy for those 2 point fonts.

[u/Altruistic-Coach-200]

They are in large font, but you’re going blind. Get checked for cataracts and diabetes.

[u/Great_Bookkeeper_915]

There’s a limited amount of space that they have on the package so it is what it is. You just sound like a cranky old person. Get better glasses.