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>My client is toying with the idea of print the entire manual
>in colour (Cost is not an issue.) but, both of us are unsure
>of whether this is a good idea.
This is strictly my own opinion (and of course, I have a million of them
<ha>) but I think color manuals start looking real cheesy after awhile.
It's almost like they want to make up in looks what they lack in content
(NOT saying your stuff lacks content, or even the ones I've seen.) I truly
believe a black and white document can be formatted to be even more
dramatic and eye catching than a color document. It's all in the fonts and
the layouts.
Suzanne Maloon, Consultant
maloon -at- cdepot -dot- net
215 Mason Street
Jackson, CA 95642
209-223-1011
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| From: Leslie McKendry-Smith <McKendrySmith -at- MBNET -dot- MB -dot- CA>
| To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
| Subject: B&W or Colour
| Date: Friday, September 05, 1997 7:55 AM
|
| My client and I are on " the horns of a dilemma" and need
| advice on whether or not to print a user's guide in colour
| or B&W.
|
| Here's the situation...
|
| I have written a user's guide for a remote control and
| monitoring application that runs in Window. The manual
| contains screen snapshots of each window and dialog box as
| well as examples of the application's tool icons.
|
| The developers used colour in the interface to reinforce
| messages. For example, the background of a high priority
| alarm message would be red. Colour is also used to show
| whether or not a remote device is connected to the network.
|
| Now the problem...
|
| My client is toying with the idea of print the entire manual
| in colour (Cost is not an issue.) but, both of us are unsure
| of whether this is a good idea.
|
| On the positive side, I think that colour printing would
| demonstrate how colour is used to in the application.
|
| On the negative side, I worry that page after page of colour
| graphics would distract readers and after a while lose its
| impact.
|
| What do you think? Are there other advantages or
| disadvantages? Does anyone know of any usability research
| results on using colour in user's guides.
|
| I subscribe to the digest version, so I'd appreciate it if
| you responded directly to me. I'd be happy to post a
| summary of responses later next week.
|
| Thanks,
|
| Leslie McKendry-Smith
|
|
| ______________________________________________
| Leslie McKendry-Smith mckendry -at- mbnet -dot- mb -dot- ca
| Documents OnLine Technical Writing Services
| http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~mckendry/doconlin/
|
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