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I think you need to have some guidelines around when to use which of the alternate layouts. With those guidelines in place, though, I say go for it. Having two or three possible page designs available can break up a monotonous book (Oh, sorry, did I suggest that a software manual might be monotonous? How could I!); and it gives you flexibility in displaying different types of material to best effect.
The caveat I would offer is that you should not run your continuous chapter text from one layout into the next. Keep your 2+4 layout for your main story and use the 3+3 layout for figures, tables, sidebars, etc. You might even consider a border or a background tint on those pages, to tip off the reader that the main text continues on the following page.
Dick
"David Chinell" wrote:
>One of our writers developed a new design where any page can
>use either two three-inch columns or the traditional
>two-inch, four-inch pair.
>
>I find this somehow disconcerting, although it does seem to
>accommodate a wide variety of layouts and combinations of
>text and figures.
>
>What do you think of this? I'm having trouble accepting it
>as an okay layout. Are there any reasons (either practical
>or aesthetic) to avoid using two sets of unrelated column
>widths? Or am I just being stodgy?
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