# How to make Manipulate slider animation controls larger font?

I am giving a presentation with several Manipulates and I would like to enlarge the animation control font size. By default it's quite small. For example, the code:

Manipulate[Plot[Sin[a z], {z, -1, 1}], {a, -1, 1}]


when the animation control is selected, gives the value of "a" in a small font size.

I can't seem to figure out how to enlarge the font for this and I was wondering if someone could help me.

Thanks Dominic

• You can do it with BaseStyle thus: Manipulate[Plot[Sin[a z], {z, -1, 1}], {a, -1, 1, BaseStyle -> {FontSize -> 20}}]. But the input field does not resize to show the whole text of the number. – Michael E2 Oct 13 '17 at 21:14

Manipulate[
Plot[Sin[a z], {z, -1, 1},
PlotLabel -> Framed[StringForm["a=", a]],
LabelStyle -> 16], {{a, -1, Style["a", 16]}, -1, 1}]


• Thanks. But that only changes the font size for the label "a" What I would like to do is change the font size for the value of "a" when the user presses the animation control button. – Dominic Oct 13 '17 at 10:39
• You can show it with the plot. Check the new answer. – Sumit Oct 13 '17 at 15:26
• That's it guys. Thanks. Nice code! You guys have been a big help here helping me get my presentation ready for the tech conference next week. Will remember to acknowledge your help. This really is the place to get what I think is first-class help in Mathematica! :) – Dominic Oct 14 '17 at 7:46

You can change the default value of the option DefaultLabelStyle:

Options[Manipulate, DefaultLabelStyle]


{DefaultLabelStyle -> "ManipulateLabel"}

CurrentValue[{StyleDefinitions, "ManipulateLabel"}]


{ShowStringCharacters -> False, NumberMarks -> False,
FontFamily :> CurrentValue["PanelFontFamily"],
FontSize :> CurrentValue["PanelFontSize"] - 1, FontWeight -> "Plain"}

newDefaultLabelStyle = {ShowStringCharacters -> False,