Perdonate l'ignoranza in materia, avrei scritto:
body {background-image: url(cotton3.jpg); font-size: 8pt; font-family:Arial; color: #470087;}
td {background-image: url(cotton3.jpg); font-size: 16px; font-family:Arial; font-weight: regular; color: #600000;}

STRONG {font-family:verdana, tahoma, arial; font-style:normal; font-size:12px}

CITE {font-family:verdana, tahoma, arial; font-style:normal; font-size:13px}

.select1{background:#006699; font-size: 12px; color:#ffffff; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial;}

.box { font-family:verdana, tahoma, arial; font-size: 8pt; border-width:1; border-color: #09A2EC; border-style:dashed; }

.box1 { font-family:verdana, tahoma, arial; font-size: 8pt; border-width:1; border-color: #09A2EC; border-style:dashed;}

.box2 { border-style: dashed; border-color: #D78117; border-width: 1; background: #ffffff; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial; font-size: 8pt;}

.box3 { border-style: dashed; border-color: #000000; border-width: 1; background: #ffffff; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial; font-size: 8pt; }

.submit { font-family:verdana, tahoma, arial; font-size: 8pt; text-decoration:none; background-color: #D78117; border-color: #006699; border-width:1; color: #ffffff; border-style:dashed; }

.tabella {border-style:dashed; border-color:#333333; border-width:1px }

<SPAN STYLE="font-family: verdana; font-size: 11em;"></SPAN>


Non ho risolto i miei problemi e cioè la grandezza dei caratteri è comunque e sempre modificabile dal menù a tendina di IE