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Subject:Re: adjusting size on the screen? From:Susana Rosende <SRosende -at- THEFUND -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 29 Jul 1999 17:33:44 -0400
Continuing the thread of viewing PDF files online:
I understand the proper way to have a pdf page fit on the screen is to use
Landscape format. That way there's no need for the horizontal scroll bar on
the bottom of the screen. If you don't like printing landscape pages, you
can always include a link to a portrait format, that says, "For a Printed
format, click here."
--Susana Rosende
=====================================================================
Mark Dempsey continued the dialog:
<snip>
<<Yes PDF is identical to print, but in my Acrobat reader, I
can change the screen resolution so text is as big or little as
I want to read.>>
I wasn't clear. Yes, you can do this, but there's a tradeoff:
either the full page fits on the screen, but is illegible, or only
part of the page fits and you constantly have to page down to
get to the bottom of each page. A proper design would fit all
the page onscreen at once, where this is necessary (e.g., when
you need to see the screenshot and the text that explains it
simultaneously); something designed to print on a typical
manual won't fit on a typical monitor this way. Anecdotal
data: I personally find text smaller than 12 point too small for
easy online reading, yet text in manuals is usually only this
size for large pages that won't fit on the typical screen.
<<We've never had a complaint about poor readability...but
then most of our users have big monitors too...>>
Devil's advocate time: Have you actually asked your users, or
had some neutral third party ask them? Lack of evidence does
not constitute proof! In any event, your second point is more
important: if you've got a large monitor (17 inch or bigger),
you can definitely display a full page at a time with legible
type for typical manuals. If not...
