MicroNotch
When I open MicroNotch to check my next meeting, I want to see its name and time at a glance. The panel needs to fit above my work, with text I can read from where I’m sitting. I built the reading options around that small task.
I gave the background, the text and the panel size their own controls. If I want bigger text, I can keep the panel the same size. If I want a softer background, I can keep the theme I’ve chosen.
A tint for the theme you already use
In Settings → Displays → Appearance → Reading tint, try Soft yellow, Pale turquoise or Soft blue. I made all three work with every theme, including System if you follow your Mac’s appearance. The default is Off.
I kept the tint on the panel and card backgrounds. In the screenshot, Soft blue changes the surface behind the calendar and reminders. I left the text, status indicators and album artwork as they were.
Bigger text or a single column
Choose Comfort if you’d like to start with larger text and more space between things. If you like your current theme, open Settings → Displays → Panel layout → Text size. You can go up to 125% of that theme’s default and leave Panel size where it is.
Under Panel layout → Home layout, try Stacked to put Music, Today and Reminders in one column. I kept that choice separate from the theme as well. You can use Comfort with the side-by-side cards or use Stacked with Dark.
Try it with the tool you reach for most
Open the panel you use most and change one setting at a time. If a reminder is hard to read, start with text size. If the background is what you’d like to change, try a tint while keeping the rest as it is.
You can compare the themes or use the reading comfort guide to find each setting. If you still find something hard to read, tell me what you were looking at. The name of the tool and the bit you struggled with give me somewhere to start.
