Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How to change the default system font in OS X El Capitan?
- Thread starter swein1992
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You may want to keep your eyes on this project on Github. It doesn't seem to work right now, but it might be fixed at some point.
https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeyosemite
https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeyosemite
Hi, pls help me. I want to change the default system font in El Capitan? How can I do this? Fron San Francisco to Helvetica Neue
As of today, the only System Replacement Font that I can find is FIRA (link to GitHub page).
I know there are plenty of Yosemite font replacements, so I suspect it won't be long before more become available.
I know there are plenty of Yosemite font replacements, so I suspect it won't be long before more become available.
Evidently Apple has decided that using an ugly, quirky font is a great way to individualize themselves and create a brand identity.
Thing is, this is MY computer, not theirs. I don't like their crappy new font and I DON'T want it on my Mac, ANYWHERE. How can I permanently get rid of it?
Y'know, back in the OS 9 days, Apple actually gave us a CHOICE which font we would like to use for the main system font. Whatever happened to freaking choice, Apple? Why can't you have like five or six nice fonts, and let the user pick what suits them best?
Because I'm about to go insane from how terrible of a font San Francisco is. It's killing me!!!
PS — Other than the font I really like 10.11.
Thing is, this is MY computer, not theirs. I don't like their crappy new font and I DON'T want it on my Mac, ANYWHERE. How can I permanently get rid of it?
Y'know, back in the OS 9 days, Apple actually gave us a CHOICE which font we would like to use for the main system font. Whatever happened to freaking choice, Apple? Why can't you have like five or six nice fonts, and let the user pick what suits them best?
Because I'm about to go insane from how terrible of a font San Francisco is. It's killing me!!!
PS — Other than the font I really like 10.11.
OS 9… is that the system they had in the 90s?
/System/Library/Fonts, the fonts start with “SF”. System Integrity Protection must be turned off. Delete them at your own peril or use a tweak that overrides the system typeface with something else (like this one).
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
Yup, it was very customizable. Kaleidoscope (third party) let you completely change the look of your Mac, and then Apple started offering themes that also changed the look somewhat. They never released as many as they originally planned (Steve Jobs nixed that). There are some things about OS 9 I still miss a lot. The themes had sound effects. Those sounds were so satisfying--and they were in stereo so as you moved your mouse from menu item left to right the sound would move left to right. I don't remember how many fonts to choose from there were, but it was a good number.
Two last awesome OS 9 features: detachable application switcher. I loved this. Took up less space than the dock and was very clean looking. And detaching menu bars were just really cool. And the other was the control strip. You could get at every setting you needed very quickly and collapse as needed. I have to add a third: I miss collapsing windows into their title bar.
OS X was very opulent compared to OS 8/9, but over time OS X came back to the platinum interface in some ways of OS 8/9, but is now even more drab than OS 8/9. I think Platinum has held up very well. It's clean, refreshing, bright. It's like the flat interfaces of today but with a bit more life and playfulness.
give it time, and you'll adapt. it's your computer, but you're licensing apple's OS. meanwhile, disabling SIP and removing the primary system font is not something to do...unless you want to hose the system. be patient...it's not like it's Comic Sans or something. one morning you'll wake up and forget about the font, and be focused on the work (or play)....
I remember some of the themes like "Blueprint" that I really liked. Would be nice to be able to theme el Cap...
Your life must be pretty amazing to be obsessed over a system font 99% of the population can't tell them apart.
It really just looks like a differ between regular and bold of the same font. I sure didn't notice.
It is easy to replace the system font, accepting there may be glitches associated with different font metrics:
https://github.com/jenskutilek/FiraSystemFontReplacement
etc. (you can use the same technique with other fonts, but Fira is a wonderfully designed font). I used Fira to replace Helvetica in Yosemite, but I think San Francisco is much better designed for screen and although I prefer Fira, it isn't a priority any more...
https://github.com/jenskutilek/FiraSystemFontReplacement
etc. (you can use the same technique with other fonts, but Fira is a wonderfully designed font). I used Fira to replace Helvetica in Yosemite, but I think San Francisco is much better designed for screen and although I prefer Fira, it isn't a priority any more...
That’s not the San Francisco font of El Capitan. That’s clearly SF Compact of the Watch. You can tell from the flat sides of the C, c and e and the wider spacing.
Agreed, I barely notice any change from the old font to the new font. However, in my case, I only can pretty much only see out of one eye (don't have good vision in the other). So, I probably wouldn't see much of a change anyways.
I found the image on google.
I know the difference between the fonts, but to be obsessed over it when the difference is so subtle, is a little too much.
I'm also not happy with the San Francisco font. It was the first thing that struck me when I upgraded iOS. Unfortunately it's made it's way to OS X too. It looks even worse on my old. non-retina MacBook.
I stand with the others who have fond memories of OS 9. One of my favorite operating systems of all time.
I stand with the others who have fond memories of OS 9. One of my favorite operating systems of all time.
Back when Macs were worthless junk. Can't believe they survived the dark days of the 90s until Steve Jobs saved them.
Why Macs were worthless junk?
Imho at least in built quality were a lot better than today...
Read up on your Apple history. MacOS was junk by the early 90s and Windows 95 blew it away. Hence why Steve's OS was bought to save the day. That the first action of Steve was to kill virtually every hardware product Apple in the 90s were doing should alone tell you what junk it was.