Re: Website readability

["Hutchings, Christa" <cwhutchings -at- HOMEWIRELESS -dot- COM>]

Sans-serif fonts are easiest to read on the web, especially if your page
has a textured or colored background. Best font overall is Verdana. It
was created specifically for the web and has "fatter" characters for
better readability.

Colors are a matter of preference. Soft pale-colored backgrounds are
generally preferred by most viewers, although clients often prefer the
flash of brightly colored or textured backgrounds. Whatever background
you choose, use a high-contrast font. Black, navy, maroon, or dark teal
text on a cream, soft yellow or white background is a good choice for
long, scrolling pages with lots of text, and can look very classic too.
A word of caution: long, scrolling pages are generally disliked by most
web visitors. Consider chunking the info onto different pages with
attractive links to the pages. This is easier on your visitor's eyes,
brain, and mouse hand.

Use a few images to give your pages some visual interest, but don't go
crazy with them. Most visitors to a web site don't like waiting for a
lot of images to load.

Hope this helps!

Chris Welch-Hutchings
Senior Technical Writer
Home Wireless Networks, Inc.
mailto:cwhutchings -at- homewireless -dot- com



-----Original Message-----
From: Douglas Max [mailto:dmax -at- BELLATLANTIC -dot- NET]
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 1998 9:34 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Website readability


Does anyone know the answer to this question:

"What's the best color, font (serif, or sans-serif), size for text to be
easily readable on the web?"  We have long scrolling pages on our
website and I want it to be easy on our students.

My webmaster thinks that a navy blue "softens" things up, but I wonder
if black isn't better because of its greater contrast.  Also, I think
that Times Roman is easier to read than Ariel.  I welcome your opinions
and/or reference to any research done on this.

Thanks.

Doug Max
--

LR Communication Systems, Inc.   http://www.LRcom.com
139 Dogwood Lane
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922-0264
USA

Training in business writing and presentation skills. Seminars, distance
learning/correspondence programs with personal feedback. Online options.
Editing services. Founded in 1969.

E-mail for business: mail -at- LRcom -dot- com
personal: dmax -at- bellatlantic -dot- net

voice @ Work (908) 464-1231
fax    (908) 464-1350

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