Wishlist item: Can we make index card font sizes a local setting, rather than global?

Scrivener Scrivener for Windows
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I am currently using Scrivener to organize my French learning journal. One of the first things I need to learn are alt codes. I created a folder called Alt Codes and type the accented character in the Title of the index card and the code in the Synopsis portion of the index card. These old tired eyes cannot differentiate between the accents on the characters, so I need it bigger.

I am also writing a WWII book that—not so coincidentally—has some French language in it. The index cards in that project needs to remain the default size, since my synopsis on those documents have some extensive info that won’t fit in the titles if it’s enlarged. The titles are in English so I don’t have to worry about the accented characters and I can read those as they are.

I really don’t want to have to switch it each and every time I open up a project. It would be really helpful if text sizes could have a local and/or global setting, for more options.

Or… am I wrong that it can’t be done? Does anyone know if I can do this?

Thanks everyone!

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In case you don’t know: some keyboard layouts are an hybrid and allow French & English at once.

"She’s so pretty that tous les garçons en sont épatés.» éèêàùôï etc..
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No alt-codes to learn.
I am a French-Canadian so this is the one I use. Likely the French have their own, too.

. . . . . . . .

As for your primary question about font size, I don’t think it can currently be done. (99.9% sure)
But, you could use the outliner for one situation, and index cards for the other.
These two view modes have independently set fonts and sizes.

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You know, after I posted this I looked online for options on the easiest way to handle special characters and I just learned that a French-Canadian keyboard was likely my answer. Great minds think alike! Thank you so much for your input. I am now convinced to give it a go! It was very kind of you to respond.

Happy writing!

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At the heart of your query is access to accent marks or diacritical marks/characters on the fly, and the size of such.
If you’re a Windows 11 user, I’d recommend that you look at the setting to turn on a Touch Keyboard in Windows. You don’t need a touch screen computer; you can access what you want with a mouse pointer.
To switch the feature on, select Win+I to take you into Windows Settings. Click on Time & Language → Typing → Touch Keyboard → Show the touch keyboard → select Always from the dropdown. The touch keyboard icon appears in your System Tray on the Taskbar.

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In Scrivener, or any app, if you require a special character, you click on the icon in the System Tray, and the touch keyboard fills half your screen. Online Keyboard has an icon to set to fill a smaller part your screen by default, with all the functions of its larger component. So, for instance, if you need a variation of the letter e, you’d click and hold your mouse pointer on the letter e and thereafter choose the letter you’re looking for.

Large keyboard:

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Small keyboard:
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I’m not sure if this is part of the standard Windows 11 experience yet; I’m a Windows Insider user and I know that the touch keyboard is currently under expansion for gaming and other things. The next Windows user update (25H2) will be on 14 October 2025.

For me, this is so much better than the letters being available from emojis popup menu (Win+. or Win+;) or having to remember a 101 AltGr codes (not that the feature is available on laptops) or switching keyboards or accessing a control sheet. And with the size options, your wavering eyesight is catered for. Yes, a dedicated keyboard would be best, but for me, the Online Keyboard feature is sufficient, since I use such characters once in a blue moon.

Back to your original query. I have a list of Special Characters, which I’ve divorced from Scrivener, since I no longer need it, but it’s still available if anyone wants it.

What I’d do, if I wished to fulfil a request like yours to have it available on the fly and in a comfortable readable font size, would be to store it as a document in Research (Diacritical Characters), and drag the document to Inspector | Project Bookmarks, and set Bookmarks to open as a Quick Reference. Set the font to a suitable size in the Diacritical Characters document. When a character is required, click on Diacritical Characters document in Bookmarks without leaving where you’re editing and extract the required letter from the QR document that opens, and Paste and Match Style it into the Editor. That was my prior workflow.

I doubt the Windows environment will change to the convenience of having a long-press feature on their keyboards as on Mac and iOS/iPadOS anytime in the next five years, but at least they’ve taken a constructive step in the right direction.

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Your reply is very interesting! I do have access to a screen keyboard and I am on a laptop without a touch screen.

I did install the French-Canadian Keyboard yesterday but I do not know how to use it. I wonder if the touch keyboard would show the Fr-Can characters on the touch keyboard?

Switching keyboards is just as easy as the touch keyboard. It shows it in the system tray and I click and choose which keyboard to use. The problem is that my laptop’s keyboard has no hints as to what to press to select the correct character. I would love to try this out and see if it’s helpful, but I do have a question…

I really do not understand ALTGr codes. In fact, if someone had asked me when away from my laptop if I had one, I would have said no. It was only today that I realized the right one said that. lol!

In any case, I would love to have a copy of your Special Characters list until I can figure all of this out. I had no idea that there were easier options until Lance replied and I love yours too. In the meantime, if I have your list, it will get me through until I learn how to use all of this.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your reply! This sounds really interesting and I’ll work with it tomorrow.

Cheers!

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Long-press with a mouse pointer on keys such as an a, e, i, o, u, among others and variants appear on the onscreen touch keypad.
For AltGr to work, it’s the right Alt key, but you’d need an extended keyboard with a numeric keypad. They sell external numeric keypads for spreadsheet jockeys, and I assume it would work as well. But you’d need to know/memorise the 4-number codes. It doesn’t work on number keys at the top of a keyboard, though.
I suppose Microsoft OEMs don’t implement the Apple approach because Apple likely trademarked the idea, which would be allowed only at a cost.
So, on an Apple keypad, for example, if you long pressed an e you wouldn’t get a repeat of e, but the variations offered to you.
My keyboard is ENG US, which supports the design of my laptop’s keyboard layout. The touch keypad is different in that you can work over three screens of display, and it somewhat supports what you’d be looking for, but not Cyrillic or Eastern characters.

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Got it working! This is absolutely wonderful! Unfortunately, I followed your instructions and the touch keyboard didn’t show in the system tray, even though I said “always.” I checked the setting and it kept it at “always.” I decided to go to bed and try again today. This time, I typed in the Settings Search “touch keyboard” and another set of settings was there and “always” was not selected, so I turned it on. Bam! There it was and it works exactly as you described. I love it! This is really so very helpful and now I can continue my language learning, which will assist me in my writing.

Thanks again and I really appreciate your help.

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