PRB: Printer Font too Small with ChooseFont() Common Dialog

ID: Q89544

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK)
• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) version 3.1

SYMPTOMS

In an application for the Microsoft Windows graphical environment, the user selects a printer font through the ChooseFont() common dialog box function. When the application calls the CreateFontIndirect() to create the selected font, even though the style and face name are correct, the point size is much too small.

CAUSE

The LOGFONT structure returned to the application is based on screen metrics--even when the user selects a printer font. Because the resolution (dots per inch) on a printer is generally much greater than that of the screen, the resulting printer font is smaller than desired.

RESOLUTION

Modify the lfHeight member of the LOGFONT data structure according to the printer metrics.

MORE INFORMATION

The following code demonstrates how to modify the lfHeight member. The lpcf variable contains a pointer to the CHOOSEFONT data structure. The hDC member of the CHOOSEFONT data structure is a handle to the printer device context.

   if (ChooseFont(lpcf))
   {
      if (lpcf->nFontType & PRINTER_FONT)
      {
         iLogPixelsy = GetDeviceCaps(lpcf->hDC, LOGPIXELSY);
         lpcf->lpLogFont->lfHeight =
             MulDiv(-iLogPixelsy, (lpcf->iPointSize / 10), 72);
         hPrinterFont =
             CreateFontIndirect((LPLOGFONT)(lpcf->lpLogFont));
      }
      else
      {
         // Create screen font
      }
   }
   else
   {
      // Process common dialog box error
   }

Keywords          : kbGDI 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: December 31, 1998