Readers of those other sites may not care much about font size and column widths. “40-character line lengths? In 18-point Comic Sans? I love it!” they say. But not you, because you are an Ars reader. And Ars readers are discerning. They have feelings about concepts like “information density.” And we want those feelings to be soft and cuddly ones.
That’s why we’re today rolling out version 9.0.2 of the Ars Technica site redesign, based on your continued feedback, with a special emphasis on text control. (You can read about the changes in 9.0.1 here.) That’s right—we’re talking about options! Font size selection, colored hyperlink text, even a wide column layout for subscribers who plonk down a mere $25/year (possible because we don’t need to accommodate ads for subs).
Here’s a quick visual look at some of the main changes:
Along with a clean, ad-free view, subscribers also have the option for a wider text column. In this comparison, the left image shows the Standard width with the text set to Large, while the right shows the Wide width and the text set to Small. Any combination can be mixed and matched for the right level of reading comfort.
Along with a clean, ad-free view, subscribers also have the option for a wider text column. In this comparison, the left image shows the Standard width with the text set to Large, while the right shows the Wide width and the text set to Small. Any combination can be mixed and matched for the right level of reading comfort.
And here’s a list of all the changes in this update:
- We now have a font size selector with Small, Standard, and Large options
- The new default font is smaller; you can return to the previous redesign size by selecting Large
- The selector also offers the option to return to using orange links in article copy
- We’ve rolled out a new subscriber-only Wide option in the selector for increased density with wider body copy
- Once you’ve set your preferred text settings, you can minimize the selector into the page navigation area to get it out of your way
- Text settings are stored in the browser, not your account, so you can set them to your preferred style for every device
- Headlines and intros to articles are now more compact, and break points for the responsive design have been improved
- Story intro images can now be enlarged if you want to see them bigger
Please do let us know how the new options work for you—and if you have any constructive suggestions for continued improvements to the design.
As we process your feedback, do know that we’re already at work on the next batch of improvements, which should be available in the near future.
- Soon—a “true light mode” that removes dark background elements for people who prefer that
- Soon—improvements to the front-page notifications on your avatar, such as activity in threads where you’ve participated
- A little later—a revamp of our front-page comments and voting system, with more nuanced options
So enjoy! And thanks for reading.
The text settings icon lives next to the opening of the story by default (or right above the copy on mobile views). If you click the Minimize to Nav button the button will instead live in your nav, out of the way until you need it again.
