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When viewing the OSM map, the street names etc. are written in a font size which is too small for me. I cannot read the street names. How can I change the font size to make them bigger? Thanks.

asked 07 Jan '14, 08:46

cantho's gravatar image

cantho
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You cannot change the font size in the map on the OSM web site (other than requesting that your browser enlarge all images which many browser do when you press Ctrl+).

For larger fonts, you will either have to render your own map (requires some software setup, different ways you can do it, use search field above to find out more), or look around for someone offering an OSM-based map that uses different font sizes. The map compare service at bbbike.org has a ton of map styles, maybe one of them suits you better. Those with OSM in their title are renderd from OSM, the others are from a different source. Here's a map compare permalink with 8 different OSM-based maps.

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answered 07 Jan '14, 09:35

Frederik%20Ramm's gravatar image

Frederik Ramm ♦
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accept rate: 23%

This might help: https://www.osmap.uk/larger-text/ it's using retina tiles but instead of using those for higher dpi, they are used to display larger text labels.

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answered 05 May '23, 10:36

Spiekerooger's gravatar image

Spiekerooger
3.1k22356
accept rate: 16%

edited 05 May '23, 10:50

After so many years still there is no way to easily choose text size? It's not only a question of visual impairment, but also of preferences. Why not just render 3 maps with small, medium and large text size and let the user choose which one to display by clicking a button?

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answered 05 May '23, 10:26

nopria's gravatar image

nopria
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1

Because there already is an easy way to do this? 9 (!) years ago Frederik explained how to "request that your browser enlarge all images". I use it all the time with OSM-based maps - zoom in to read text more easily; zoom out to see more detail across a wider area.

(05 May '23, 11:26) SomeoneElse ♦
1

As for "why not..." the answer is simply that it would take three times as much computing resources and that costs money. Also, this is one of the issues that will be much easier to tackle once we have vector tiles where font size could be made selectable by the client - so probably best to wait until that time.

(05 May '23, 14:04) Frederik Ramm ♦

There are a few ways to increase the font size when viewing OpenStreetMap (OSM):

Zoom in: You can zoom in on the map to make the text larger. This will increase the size of all the elements on the map, including the street names.

Use the browser's zoom function: If you're using a web browser to view OSM, you can use the browser's zoom function to increase the font size. This will only affect the OSM website and not other websites or applications.

Use a different map style: OSM offers a variety of map styles, each with different font sizes and styles. You can try different map styles to see if one is more readable for you.

Use a third-party application: There are many third-party applications that use OSM data but offer different font sizes and styles. You can search for OSM applications in your app store or online to find one that suits your needs.

Overall, if you find the font size on OSM too small, zooming in or using a different map style or third-party application may be helpful.

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answered 07 May '23, 08:26

Incompreneur's gravatar image

Incompreneur
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edited 14 May '23, 12:41

SomeoneElse's gravatar image

SomeoneElse ♦
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question asked: 07 Jan '14, 08:46

question was seen: 20,477 times

last updated: 14 May '23, 12:41

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum