Trouble Reading OotS Comics

[Zul_Gan_Ghul]

Does anyone else find it difficult to read this comic sometimes? I don't know if the text is not dark enough, too thin, or not of high enough resolution, but I really have to strain to read it sometimes. The problem is made worse when there is a particularly dense speech bubble and the text gets so small that it fades into a gray color.

[Damaris]

I found it hard to read Lord Tyrinar's bit in the last strip. Don't remember having that problem before.

[Yendor]

Normally I don't think it's a problem, but in this case I think the text really is too light. Contrast, say, Tarquin's voiceover in panel 2 with the one in the previous strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0758.html).

[NerfTW]

I agree, I had the same problem with today's strip. Somethings up with the font. It's not as dark and bold as usual.

I would suggest saving it to your hard drive and then zooming in if you don't want to wait for it to be fixed.

[Darakonis]

It's a factor of the text size getting smaller and smaller, while our screen resolutions become larger and larger.

This has been brought up before. I agree that it's becoming a little more difficult to read the comic as time goes on, but the general response to this has been: "You clearly need to see an eye doctor; go get glasses and be quiet."

I'd like to preemptively add that zooming in while in a web browser does not help, because it blurs the text.

Peace,
-Darakonis

[Drolyt]

It's a factor of the text size getting smaller and smaller, while our screen resolutions become larger and larger.
If it were a matter of screen resolution then simply switching to a smaller resolution should help. It might not work very well with an LCD screen though, that was one place where CRTs really were superior.

[Swordpriest]

I can see that Tarquin's font is a little slimmer, but I can't say I have any trouble reading it....

[Ted The Bug]

I don't have trouble reading it, but it's pretty awkward looking when it's as small as it is in today's strip (or ones like 710 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0710.html)). It's similar to the lines getting slightly thinner in 757 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0757.html). No actual inconvenience, but it does kind of throw you when reading it.

[Jaros]

Since no one else has mentioned this: holding ctrl whilst scrolling with the mouse wheel should zoom in/out in most browsers, on this site I tend to zoom in for the comic and out for the forums. The zoom in Friefox seems to be better than in IE, not sure about other browsers. All Macs I've used have the zoom feature built in to the OS, which I find incredibly useful.

[ThePhantasm]

I've defended the font size in the past as being just fine. I do have to admit there is a notable difference in this strip - the font is not as heavy and appears much thinner. I don't think the font size went down, I think the weight went down. It may be just this particular strip; I'm going to reserve judgment until I see whether this will be a new trend.

The font in 758 is the exact same size as in 759. Its just that 759's font is super thin for some reason.

[Renan_Sousa]

I've defended the font size in the past as being just fine. I do have to admit there is a notable difference in this strip - the font is not as heavy and appears much thinner. I don't think the font size went down, I think the weight went down. It may be just this particular strip; I'm going to reserve judgment until I see whether this will be a new trend.

The font in 758 is the exact same size as in 759. Its just that 759's font is super thin for some reason.

Well, I have no problem at all so far reading the strips.

Do all of you who have posted here have 20/20 vision? Even with glasses?

[Drolyt]

I don't have any problems reading the comic, but now that you mention I think there is something different. My best guess is that the Giant accidentally applied a filter to the whole strip that he only meant for one thing or something similar. Alternatively maybe he normally uses anti-aliasing on the text but forgot last strip? There are a lot of explanations. Someone should pm the Giant and see if he is aware of the issue.

[JaxGaret]

I've been viewing Oots comics at 144% (twice-zoomed) for years now. Very little blurring, and I pick up on the details much better, as well as it being much more readable.

[Felhammer]

I didn't have too much of a problem with the comic except for the Blue and Red overleafs in the second panel. The semi-transparent backgrounds just made them hard to read.

[ThePhantasm]

Well, I have no problem at all so far reading the strips.

Do all of you who have posted here have 20/20 vision? Even with glasses?

Yes, I do. But even if I didn't have 20/20 vision, why would that cause me to see the lettering in 758 as thick and 759 as thin?

The font size is still the same. I can still read it just fine. It just is a little thinner and doesn't quite look right.

[Drolyt]

Yes, I do. But even if I didn't have 20/20 vision, why would that cause me to see the lettering in 758 as thick and 759 as thin?

The font size is still the same. I can still read it just fine. It just is a little thinner and doesn't quite look right.
I don't think that post was directed at you. The op said they had trouble reading the strip. Since most of us don't, seeing if there is a vision problem isn't a bad idea. That said, I think it is more likely a monitor problem.

[ThePhantasm]

I don't think that post was directed at you. The op said they had trouble reading the strip. Since most of us don't, seeing if there is a vision problem isn't a bad idea. That said, I think it is more likely a monitor problem.

Well, that's fine if it wasn't directed at me; I'm not offended by it. I even thought it might be a joke based on Darakonis' comment earlier.

But I was pretty sure it was directed at me to some extent, since I am quoted in the post itself.

[Drolyt]

Well, that's fine if it wasn't directed at me; I'm not offended by it. I even thought it might be a joke based on Darakonis' comment earlier.

But I was pretty sure it was directed at me to some extent, since I am quoted in the post itself.
Huh, good point. Still, there were a couple others who said that they were having trouble reading, so I think that's where Renan got that. Personally, I think it is probably monitor settings.

[Trazoi]

It's a factor of the text size getting smaller and smaller, while our screen resolutions become larger and larger.
The latest font size shrinkage was the one that lowered it to the point where it strains my eyes to read. But as you say, it's also a monitor resolution issue. I've got two monitors, and the secondary monitor (an old LCD panel with a larger resolution) is much easier to view the comic than my main screen.

[ThePhantasm]

The text size is back to normal with the latest comic, indicating that it was simply some sort of problem with 759, not a change of the text style as a whole.