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This tip is specific to Windows 8. The only way to change the font sizes in Windows 10 is by increasing the display %.
This tip comes from Cowboy:
As we all know, Microsoft removed the ability to change the font and font size in the Outlook 2013 folder list. But all is not lost. For those people with high resolution monitors and/or poor vision there is something we can do short of enlarging the whole display image.
Right click on the Windows 8 desktop and choose Personalize then click Display.
There is an item "Change only text size". If you click on the dropdown you will see the items where you can change the text are Title Bars, Menus, Message Boxes, Palette Titles, Icons and Tool Tips.
You cannot change the font, but you can change the size and make it bold. I found if I just change the menus size from 9 to 10 it makes the folder list text larger. It also increases the size of the ribbon which in my case is fine. One client changed almost everything to 12 which I think is a little over the top, but he really likes it. So if you are having trouble reading text in Office 2013 applications, play around with it and I think you will be able make some adjustments which will really improve the look and feel of outlook and other applications as well.
Thanks Cowboy!
If the font size in the message list is too large, you can change the size in View Settings, Other Settings and Conditional Formatting.
In these screenshots, I changed the font from the default 9 pt to 10 pt.
Windows 7
Although Windows 7 does not include the same options as Windows 8, you can still change the Menu font. Open Control Panel, Personalization.
Click Window Color and find Menu in the list of Items.
Change the font size tutorial
Published February 14, 2013. Last reviewed on June 15, 2017.
Thanks this article is helpful and relevant to Outlook users.
Thanks! This worked on my Windows X, though I did have to hunt a bit to find the new hiding places for display, "change only text size" and the pull down menu!
Can anyone tell me why the zoom scroll in the lower right corner might not move? I have Outlook13 /Windows 10. This email is killing my eyes! It is all small and all the same color. I was able to enlarge the email, but not the folder pane to the left. From what I read here, that is a function that was removed for some reason and all I can do is zoom in and out...but I cant zoom!
The zoom control only works with the reading pane, not the folder list. The only thing you can do is enable touch mode - it won't change the text size (if it does, it would be a point or two) but it will spread the folders out a little. Some people think it helps, others find it annoying.
The only other option is changing the windows display zoom, but it's generally not recommended to go too much above the recommended setting for your display. Changing the zoom will affect all applications.
In Windows 10 on the DISPLAY screen, there is NO "Change only the text size" option!!! Grrrr. This is critical. I need to enlarge the stupid folders in Outlook 2013 which I hate. I hate that all of the text blends together and it's gray! There is no differentiation between folders and their subfolders. In my job, I LIVE IN THOSE FOLDERS. Please help for those of us on Windows 10.
Correct, at this point in time (and possibly in future versions), you can't change the font size in windows 10, only the display %. (You could in the early builds.)
Um, respectfully, is Microsoft kidding us with this? I NEED that feature. Enlarging the folder and header font sizes kept me from getting bullshit headaches from squinting at the screen all day...my job requires a TON of folders and separation. How could they possibly think its not an important feature?
They make the actual email sizable but none of the other text you have to stare at all day? Who/where can i leave this complaint for Microsoft because this decreases the quality of my daily work routine.
Go to outlook.uservoice.com and see if some already requested it. If so, vote (and comment - good comments help build a 'business case' for it) otherwise, post the suggestion. They say Popular features will be added to future versions.
Same thing is happens for me. I went to WinTools.info and used their font size changer tool and enlarged them and it worked, at first. Caution here, though, because it will increase the size, but not go smaller again! I set the menu font size to 14 and now its stuck there and won't go smaller again (only in Outlook!). If you go this route, only bump it one size at a time and stop when its good!
Click DIsplay settings then Advanced display Settings (you may have to scroll to the bottom for this) then scroll down again to Advanced sizing of text and other items and you should see the Change the text size only option. This may not work on the Home edition though but try it anyway
Thank you, Cowboy!