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Subject:Re: what doc formats do READERs want ? From:Margaret Cekis <margaret -dot- cekis -at- comcast -dot- net> To:Richard L Hamilton <dick -at- rlhamilton -dot- net> Date:Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:56:50 +0000 (UTC)
Monique asked, "What doc formats do READERs want?"
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Sometimes we also have to answer, "What can we give them with the tight budget and time constraints?"
In a recent project I had, the users would get an online PDF as the only help/user doc. I created the PDF in landscape format to reduce vertical scrolling, with the text in the left column and the screenshots on the right. To minimize callouts, I used bold dark red arrows to indicate the screen features discussed in the instructions, with a font size comfortable to read with bifocals (which I need). The manual had a title page and TOC so it could be printed if desired, but it had no blank pages and was expected to be printed single-sided on a desd-top printer.
If a customer wanted to provide their staff with printed manuals, we had another PDF versions set up for duplex printing, with all new sections starting on a right-hand page, etc. YMMV
Margaret Cekis, Johns Creek GA
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