A quick way to increase or decrease the size of text on a web page

A brief post tonight, and a slight departure from my usual topics (Word and WordPerfect). I discovered quite by accident today that it is very easy to zoom in on a web page by pressing Ctrl + (plus sign); you can zoom out by pressing Ctrl – (minus sign). Yes, that’s probably something I should have realized; I do know that most browsers have a View menu with commands for enlarging and reducing text size. But for some reason, I never focused on the keyboard shortcuts — definitely an oversight for someone who relies heavily on keystrokes.

It’s great because it seems to work in several browsers: Firefox, Chrome, and Netscape. (I haven’t tested in IE, which I seldom use.) Also great because it means less clicking.

I’ll definitely pass this tip along to my “Computers for Seniors” students at UCLA Extension.** Considering that it can be hard to read the small print on various web sites, this easy method for changing the text size should appeal to them.

**They no longer refer to the computer workshops as “Computers for Seniors” classes, but to me the description remains apt. It’s a series of hands-on classes for older adults offered by The Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning and UCLA Extension. The fall class starts on October 2. For more information, call (310) 825-9168 or check out the online course catalogue at http://www.uclaextension.edu/osher.

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