Premiere Pro 2017.0.2 - Fonts on Interface are too hard to read/Causes Eye Strain

[Fustified]

Regardless of any features that have been updated which I have yet to test out, the graphic design on the interface of the new update is absolutely terrible.  All of the buttons have been made smaller.  All of the rulers, timecode readouts, everything smaller and there is no way to adjust this.  I have a 40inch 4k screen and I still cannot see anything on this new update.  Also, the backgrounds are a lighter gray which causes much more eye strain.  At the very least make these options customizable back to the previous versions via the preferences pane/appearance section- as now you can no longer make the background screens dark gray- even the darkest setting appears light gray and the lightest setting appears blown out completely.  Please fix this on the next update and soon.  This was a completely unnecessary redesign of the interface that was perfectly fine the way it was.  In all seriousness, my eyesight is going to go if I keep using this version.

[R Neil Haugen]

If the darkest background setting is light gray, I'd suggest that is probably not a calibrated monitor. I had no changes in GUI brightness/contrast between the 2015.4->2017 version change.

I have seen posts where people with 4k screens noted that the text size on them was very small. That sort of setting would need to be in the OS controls, I think.

And yes, it would be nice if there was more customization available, but posting here isn't the place to ask for it ... mainly. This is primarily a user-to-user service, and the staffers who do pop in here are Support staff, not on the design teams. The way to get your opinion in front of the people who make such decisions is the bug/feature-request report form.

They never respond to any submissions, but ... they are delivered to the upper managers in a tabulated form, so they see how many request various things.

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

Neil

[Fustified]

Thanks Neil.  I already did submit a feature request for this to be changed as well.  I just posted here too in hopes that others might feel the same and also submit a request.  I can't measure the difference as I didn't keep the CC2015 on my system before it updated, but in comparing with CS6 you're right, the bg colors are comparably the same in lightness and darkness. However, what is more of the issue are the Fonts and the super-small icons.  For instance, the track height and width scoll bars are much narrower and hard to see that they are any sort of feature at all.  The Fonts on the tabs have less contrast and blend in more with the background.  In the previous design there is more contrast between them- perhaps the older design had a drop shadow and the newer design does not.  Also all the outlines between the tracks are now outlined in light gray whereas before it was outlined in black.  Black helps separate this more and give different items more separation. 

I can see this as problematic as I teach students this software and many who are OSD, so I can see how people with poor eyesight or with a general disability might struggle with this interface design much more than the last version.  This is not an issue with monitor calibration or 4k settings- my monitor has been calibrated. If it were a problem with my screen I would have noticed that in the previous CC2015 version as well, but nothing has changed in terms of my setup on that end.

It gets even worse when looking at this layout on laptops.  Most of the icons are tiny and indistinguishable due to the slight adjustments of changing black outlines and drop shadows to gray outlines and no drop shadow.  I'm liking the other new features so far- program seems to boot faster, but the change in interface design was a small changeup that was not really necessary.  Hoping in future updates they implement a classic feature or some way to change other aspects of the appearance such as font size and contrast through the appearance pane.

[R Neil Haugen]

Agreed ... it would be nice to get more ability to customize the color scheme of the UI. And yes, I've put in the odd feature-request for that.

Neil

[Fustified]

Awesome, thanks!  Glad I'm not the only one!

[Ann Bens]

Premiere was not the only program that got change The interface, fonts, color changes was implemented to all products.

So I very much doubt they will change it back to what it was.

[Fustified]

Perhaps, but they should at the very least look into letting the users customize these options through the appearance pane. An unintended consequence of these redesigns with sleeker, slimmer fonts and smaller icons is that it's making it harder for older generations and people with disabilities to operate these programs. Admittedly, this seems to be a graphic design trend going on the entire industry in general, as Adobe is not the only one making these changes to the look of their interface.  Many other companies such as Apple have been doing this with the designs of their software interfaces lately as well. 

[Ann Bens]

I think you just answered your own question.

[Fustified]

Regardless, customization through the appearance pane is still an issue that should be addressed.  Don't be so quick to accept the status quo, we can always do better.  Adobe has been much better than the other companies at updating their software to accommodate the requests of their users.

[Ann Bens]

Adobe has been much better than the other companies at updating their software to accommodate the requests of their users.

Feature Request Report Form

[shooternz]

I have 2 x 1920 x 1080 24 bit displays and I really love the GUI

Suggest you try/trial   a 1920 x 1080 for your  GUI Monitor and use your 4K monitor for playback. ( full screen) as your second.

[Fustified]

I was commenting on the graphic design of the interface, as this does not pertain specifically to the type of monitor being used.  That is not the issue here.  I know I can control the font sizes of my 4k monitor by using Mac OS controls in the display prefs, but that's not what this is about.  I have a dual 1920x1080 monitor setup already at my other office and the design of the interface does not look any more tolerable there.  My students that have laptops struggle with this even more than I do, as the Adobe icons and scrolling bars are barely distinguishable at all on their small screens.

[Galeodan]

I have similar issues with the PrPro interface (1920x1080 x 2 on PC - Calibrated). I can get Photoshop and other CC app's to be legible enough but I cannot tweak PrPro to be legible at all (and I AM using the sliders correctly). Adobe appears to be working on the assumption that all their users (or maybe just the ones that matter) are troglodytes, working in dimly lit or dark rooms, with their noses inches from the screen - In which circumstance the interface is just legible. But for those of us who dwell and work in daylight it's completely illegible - at any setting. Is there any plugin that addresses this?

[R Neil Haugen]

No there isn't. Pro broadcast video editing has been set to Rec.709 standards, still is of course. One of the absolute requirements is using a monitor set to 100 nits while viewed in a semi-dark room. And Premiere is fully hardwired for use with Rec.709 standards.

So this UI is still set for working with a 100 nits monitor in a semi-darkened room. Not because of being "troglodytes" but because that's the pro broadcast standard.

For those working non-broadcast work, this is a bit of a problem. And yes, it would be nicer if they built in a user-setting to give wider lattitude. The place to have some effect for that is their UserVoice system.

Go over to the UserVoice (I'm on my tablet or I'd even post the link!) and search for the many UI change requests to lighten the UI. Upvote the lot of them.

Their upper managers, well above the program heads, are the ones who make the decisions for budgets & such. Those people work from metrics ...and the UserVoice is our main route to get the metrics to them.

Neil

[Galeodan]

Hello Neil. If you can't post a link, can you decribe how I would find the UserVoice system. When I go to the DW forum, I can't find the list of boards and even searching for UserVoice does not help.  

[Galeodan]

Sorry - I meant PrPro forum, of course

[Galeodan]

OK - Finally found it. The strain has me talking to myself. 🙂