Re: Developer's guide

["Locke, David" <dlocke -at- BINDVIEW -dot- COM>]

The whole serif/non-serif argument is culturally bound. U.S. audiences
prefer serif text. European audiences do not. There are non-serif fonts that
are easier to read at small point sizes than say Times Roman. At small point
sizes open fonts are more readable, and that has nothing to do with serifs.
In addition, any font is readable at an appropriate line length. There is no
simple metric that ultimately determines readability.

David W. Locke

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Hickey [SMTP:DHICKEY -at- ALIS -dot- COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 1999 5:40 PM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Re: Developer's guide
>
> Greetings Sideways Smiley Face!
>
> <g>
>
> > And besides, the old rationales for using Times New Roman for
> > body text are as antiquated as the convention to wear a neck tie in an
>
> The reason I insist on using a Serif font for body text does have a valid
> reason behind it besides tradition. Far be it from me to stick to
> tradition
> for tradition's sake! Gadzooks!
>
> The reason that the Serif font is better for body text is because the
> stems
> at the base of each letter forms a line that the eye can easily follow.
>
> If the stems are not there, then the eye has a hard time following the
> line,
> making it difficult for the person to absorb the material since the eye is
> moving all over the place.
>
> Sans Serif fonts are great for titles because the titles are brief and set
> off the body text. I like to use Serif fonts for body text and Sans Serif
> fonts for titles just so the eye gets used to the difference and can find
> the main information easily.
>
> The only reason I can see (so far) to use a Sans Serif font for body text
> is
> for online help. Serif fonts don't read very well on screen as they do on
> paper.
>
> And those are my thoughts on that.
> --
> Be seeing you,
>
> Dave
> ---------------------------------------------
> John David Hickey
> Montreal, Quebec, Canada eh?
>
> dhickey -at- alis -dot- com
> http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/7829/
> wk: 514-747-2542 ext.: 317
> pg: 514-205-9209
>
> No trees were harmed in the writing of this email.
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> ---------------------------------------------
> Don't confuse my opinion with my employer's.
> Each exists in blissful ignorance of the other.
>
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