Re: Reading Patterns (wz:Blank pages)

[Laura Bean Warner <laura -dot- bean -at- DELTEC -dot- COM>]

>From:  Ann Mackenzie
>
>
>In a message dated 97-06-13 06:53:23 EDT, Elna writes:
>
><< There have been subsequent studies that show people's eyes are drawn by
> graphics or white space, but I don't believe anyone has ever disproven
> that, in general, people look to the top right first. >>
>
>Rather, I believe our eyes are drawn first to the upper left of a page, or to
>the left-most page in a 2-page spread.  The reason is that in Western
>culture, writing is read from top to bottom, left to right.
>
>From this knowledge, then, why DO chapters begin with right-hand pages rather
>than always beginning with a left-hand page?
>
>Ann
>==========================
>Ann Mackenzie:   AnnMacknz -at- AOL -dot- com
>TekDoc - Technical Documentation, Inc. in Milwaukee, WI, USA
>specializing in policies & procedures and software & engineering writing
>
>----------
>
>You are both right.  Where the eye is drawn depends also in part on the
>format or binding of the paper.  If a piece is bound or folded, like a book
>or newsletter the eye naturally goes to the upper right first, especially
>when scanning for information.  The convention is binding or folding on the
>left edge. We wouldn't turn a book over to thumb the edges of the pages.  If
>the book is open, we may still look at the top right corner first, because
>graphics tend to be there, but will begin reading on the far left, even if
>there are several columns of text.
>
>Laura
>(laura -dot- bean -at- deltec -dot- com)
>

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