Does anyone else get irrationally angry at small print?

Posted by Lucifang@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 53 comments

I remember laughing at my dad when he complained about the print in the phone book being too small.

Today I was completely unable to play my Switch in handheld mode because I couldn’t read the tutorial requirements. You can’t advance until you get the combo right and let’s face it I’m too slow to get combos right anyway.

I used to be a god at Beat ‘em Ups.

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Accurate-Response317@reddit

Recently purchased an iPad and the booklets that came with it require a microscope to read.

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Blue_Henri@reddit

It gets better, bud. No, not the seeing part. But now I notice that I can’t even read the irrationally schmedium print, either. Then I went through a “Fie, words!” period. Now I embrace the madness of having two hundred Costco readers stashed all around my house.

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SEA2COLA@reddit

I officially entered 'old' when I purchased a magnifying glass so I could read my prescription bottles.

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Fair-Wishbone-1190@reddit

Yes! I bought readers now but I don't always have them with me so if I can't read a lot of things, I just set it down and walk away. So frustrating!!

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Kristylane@reddit

Dollar store for readers. Pair by my bed, one in the bathroom, one in the other bathroom, one in the kitchen, one in the kitchen junk drawer, couple pairs scattered around the living room, at least two pairs in each car, one in my purse, and, of course, the pair on my head. Basically next to every bottle of Tums.

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Fair-Wishbone-1190@reddit

Lol. That's alot of readers!. I have 2 pair. I can't ever read things on tv anymore. Sports scores or basic words in commercials etc.its frustrating as heck!

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Taminella_Grinderfal@reddit

Print on cosmetic packaging is often too damn small even with readers. I’ve had to use my phone to zoom in far enough.

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kynwatch71@reddit

The small print or the really evil small print on a shiny background. Both suck!

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badpuffthaikitty@reddit

My friend and I went for lunch. He took a picture of the menu. He is not a foodie. I asked him why the picture.

He couldn’t read the menu until he expanded the picture.

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PirateJim68@reddit

I do this too when I dont have my readers with me. I had great vision until I hit 50. Here I am at nearly 58 with readers everywhere

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ebeth_the_mighty@reddit

I got my first pair of glasses at age 6 months.

FML.

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OhSusannah@reddit

I read food labels in the grocery store this way. It's quite the life hack.

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SnorkinOrkin@reddit

I open my camera and zoom it a little and just carry it around like that at the ready for when I need to read something. It's pretty handy.

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SnorkinOrkin@reddit

Yes! My husband takes pictures of the menu, too. I thought it was pretty danged smart!

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Dragonnuttz@reddit

gif

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PeterPunksNip@reddit

No, I just put on my glasses or use the old finger pinhole trick 👌🏽

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Iittletart@reddit

I am rationally angry at printed so small when there is plenty of room to make it large enough to be legible.

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Catnip_75@reddit

I’m near sighted, so no

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Fulghn@reddit

No I get reasonably irritated at irrationally small text.

What sets me off is the edgy creators that feel the need to put small black text on a solid red background. Really? Really Really?!

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Own_Celebration5462@reddit

I take pictures of instructions sometimes so I can zoom in. Beauty products have remarkably small print instructions.

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le4t@reddit

So small!!

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mutarjim@reddit

Small print isn't half the annoyance that poorly placed expiration dates are. Whose bright idea was it to use blue ink on a blue lid, for example?

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Lucifang@reddit (OP)

Especially the dates that are on the lid of a jar that gets rubbed off every time you open it

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Groovy_Chainsaw@reddit

I'm a mail carrier. Has anyone else noticed how tiny the printing on address labels is ? I first noticed it from Amazon - it says a lot that a company's volume is so massive that they can save a worthwhile amount of money by using less ink on labels.

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Lucifang@reddit (OP)

I worked for a freight company for years and when the phone numbers are so small they bleed in together it can be rage inducing

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ExaminationFancy@reddit

I’ve worn glasses my entire life and I keep up with prescription. I switched to progressives in my early 40s. I get headaches if my vision isn’t razor sharp.

I don’t understand people who tolerate squinting or struggle with reading fine print. That would driving me crazy.

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Lucifang@reddit (OP)

I had glasses my whole life too until I got laser surgery in my 30’s.

I do have reading glasses but as someone who has been on both sides of this fence I can tell you that when you don’t need them for most of the day they are nowhere near you when you DO need them so it’s just easier to squint and complain than to get up and find them lol

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StOnEy333@reddit

I turned up the size of my font a long time ago. Now it’s not as big as some go, but it’s a couple notches up from standard. I got a buddy that can fit like 2 or 3 words at a time on the screen when he’s texting. lol

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Lucifang@reddit (OP)

The day I had to enlarge my mouse cursor I died a little inside

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Migamix@reddit

I can't play my steamdeck without readers, I have a CVS cheap pair attached to my SD bag.

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HereToCalmYouDown@reddit

I was just saying to my wife that the damn product manufacturers seem to make the print on labels smaller every year...

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Bilbaw_Baggins@reddit

Seems to be worst on drug labels. I'm like "Holy fuck, who do they think can even read this" knowing full well that I could have twenty years ago.

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kobuta99@reddit

I used to be somewhat annoyed because my dad always turned on the lights to read. Even in what I felt were brought, well lit rooms. This might be at 1 or 2pm in the afternoon.

Well, now when I'm reading smaller print, I have to turn on the lights too because everything seems so dark when it's block printing.

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Astronaut6735@reddit

Probably time for some new glasses.

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Gnarledhalo@reddit

Have you tried ashwagandha?

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GoodDoctorZ@reddit

There’s nothing irrational about it. I shouldn’t need a telescope to read something 12” in front of my face.

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wieldymouse@reddit

No, my eyesight is fine up close, even for tiny print. Just not so much for medium or far away distances.

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absherlock@reddit

I get irrationally angry at everything, so...yes?

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FoxSquirrel69@reddit

Get some readers old people!!! I have personally given out 1.5X readers to my friends and family our age b/c I'm tired of them guessing and not reading the instructions. Like a week a later I ask them if the readers helped, and everyone said yes begrudgingly. It's ok, we are all old.

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Mostly_Nohohon@reddit

The fact that over the counter medications are the worst is what gets me. Like if I take too much it can cause kidney failure but you print it soooooo small I still have trouble reading it with my readers!

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tanhauser_gates_@reddit

Never. Wasted effort to get angry at stuff like this.

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ChronoMonkeyX@reddit

There's small, then there's unreasonably small. Some food labels are microscopic, and then printed on a reflective surface making it worse.

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Legitimate_Egg_2073@reddit

Agree! Cooking/preparation instructions on foodstuffs also but it’s the teeny tiny labeling on some medicine bottles that utterly vexes me

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RevToy@reddit

I bought the keychain collapsible readers, and they work well, but when I forget them I’m screwed. Or if it’s dark!

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Ok-Entertainment5045@reddit

Yes

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MisterSandKing@reddit

Get a couple cheap pairs of readers. It’s amazing how much they help. I had some for a couple years that a coworker left behind, and once I finally tried them, it was a game changer.

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LoetherS@reddit

This. I have probably a dozen readers. Try some on the next time you go to the store. Game changer.

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Randomwhitelady2@reddit

I often take a photo of it with my phone then zoom in. Yes, it’s annoying!

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Flat_Employment_7360@reddit

You could use the camera on your phone as a magnifying glass.

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Lucifang@reddit (OP)

I have done that with ingredients lists lol

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