Re: Font Question, Multi use document

[Max Wyss <prodok -at- PRODOK -dot- CH>]

Jane,

the combination you mention (Palatino 10pt and Arial 9pt) is very nice indeed.

It could be that the reason why "techies" like the sans-serif fonts is
because they do have clearer lines, or that they look more designed than
serif-fonts, particularly when the horizontal and vertical line widths are
the same. Remember the days you were writing on drawings using those
Isograf templates?

If one has to go with sans serif types, it could be important to also take
into account the whole layout typography (line length, line spacing (very
important; word processors are always too tight) etc.). This can in some
ways compensate for the reduced readabiltiy of the sans serif type. The
term "Swiss typography" comes to my mind (going back to people like Jan
Tschichold or Adrian Frutiger).

Just my Zweiräppler.


Max Wyss
PRODOK Engineering AG
Technical documentation and translations, Electronic Publishing
CH-8906 Bonstetten, Switzerland

Fax:  +41 1 700 20 37
e-mail:  mailto:prodok -at- prodok -dot- ch    or    100012 -dot- 44 -at- compuserve -dot- com


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_____________




>Damien, your observations are probably correct, but with some cautions:
>
>* Sans serif in a long line and on a full page (margin to margin on a
>letter-sized page) is really harder to read. Your paragraphs may not
>have represented a real-life example. On the other hand, if your manuals
>really ARE printed on small pages with wide margins (resulting in
>shorter lines) the sans serif may work.
>
>* Sans serif is often perceived as "technical" or "clean" --- and people
>will initially respond that they *like* it.....but that doesn't
>necessarily mean that they'd be happy reading page after page with it,
>nor that it would be as readable as serif text.
>
>* Sans serif, perhaps because of the perception mentioned above, is
>often preferred by technical people (engineers). It still has nothing to
>do with readability.
>
>Most of all, though, I think you should go with what you are comfortable
>with. If your audience prefers sans serif and if you've determined that
>readability is not compromised too much, then use it. We've had so much
>debate both in this list and within the technical writing industry, yet
>we're still at a stand-off. No resolution is on the horizon.
>
>Just an FYI: at my company, we combine the two styles very effectively.
>My text is 10 pt Palatino but filenames, function names, titles of
>dialogs, menu names, etc. are in 9 pt bold Arial. Everyone here really,
>really likes this look and so do our customers.
>
>Jane
>Jane Bergen, Technical Writer
>AnswerSoft, Inc.
>Richardson, TX  (972)997-8355