The Ars redesign 9.0.2 brings the text options you’ve requested

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: 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.

Preview: ~395 words