todd@stiatl.UUCP (Todd Merriman) (03/07/90)
What's the best size paper to use in software documentation? Before the advent of the PC, 8.5 x 11 was the most common size; but now 6 x 8.5 seems to be the most popular. Which do you prefer? Would it make any difference in your choice of software packages if you could choose between the two? ...!emory!stiatl!todd Todd Merriman * 404-841-4000 * Atlanta, GA
kassover@jupiter.crd.ge.com (David Kassover) (03/10/90)
In article <9223@stiatl.UUCP> todd@stiatl.UUCP (Todd Merriman) writes: >What's the best size paper to use in software documentation? We have been using 5.5x8.5 (1/2 A), mostly because when we started, our documents were small, and the smaller binders were less expensive. Now, our documents are not so small, and won't fit comfortably in the small 1" binders, so we are contemplating going to A size, depending in part on how we feel and in part on what it will cost for the two different binder sizes on our next order. Our British (and European) distributor reformats our documents onto A4 (I think.) it's about 8x12 inches, and he uses a plastic spiral binding. Looks good, once you get used to it. I'm not sure what our Japanese distributor uses, and it's all translated into Japanese and printed in Kanji, anyway 8-) (BTW, the product runs in Kanji on Kanji terminals)
prc@erbe.se (Robert Claeson) (03/10/90)
In article <5923@crdgw1.crd.ge.com>, kassover@jupiter.crd.ge.com (David Kassover) writes: > Our British (and European) distributor reformats our documents > onto A4 (I think.) it's about 8x12 inches 8.2 x 11.67 inches. Used almost everywhere except for the U.S. (Japan, Australia, Africa, Europe...). -- Robert Claeson E-mail: rclaeson@erbe.se ERBE DATA AB
exspes@bath.ac.uk (P E Smee) (03/12/90)
In article <5923@crdgw1.crd.ge.com> kassover@jupiter.crd.ge.com (David Kassover) writes: > >Our British (and European) distributor reformats our documents >onto A4 (I think.) it's about 8x12 inches, and he uses a plastic >spiral binding. Looks good, once you get used to it. Proper official A4 is 210x297 mm (8.27x11.69 inches). Cut in half gives A5, 148x210 mm. (The theory is that it is based on A0, which has an area of one square meter and sides in the ratio of 1 to square-root of 2. Cut in half gives A1, with the sides in the same ratio. Halve again for A2, and so on. There's also a B series, less often used, with same aspect ratio but based on B0 which is 1 meter on the short side -- 1000x1414 mm.) 'Computer paper' A4 is a very close approximation, 8-1/4 by 11-2/3 inches, so that a 6 lpi printer will take an integral number of line-throws per page (70). My REAL reason for mentioning all this is so I can plead with software documenters -- if you are producing preformatted documents which are going to be distributed on magnetic media, for the user to print out, PLEASE indicate end of page with a FORM FEED rather than by filling out with blank lines. Then the page boundaries will come out right on both US 8.5x11, and European A4 lineprinter paper. (The 1/4 inch difference in width is not usually significant with normal margins.) It's REALLY BORING having to edit a document to stop it from crawling up the paper at 4 lines per page. (Or down 4 lines per page if the doc was formatted for A4 and you're using US paper.) -- Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!ukc!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132