geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen) (03/26/91)
I complained about a book set in a sans serif face and briand@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Brian D Diehm) writes: >Actually, what you are complaining about is poor typography rather than >sans serif typefaces. After going back and looking at the book again, I think you're right. >Studies have shown that in the US serif faces are "easier" to read. However, >over recent decades the balance has been moving away from a serif preference >toward neutrality. In some European countries, notably scandanavia, there is >NO difference in comprehension or speed between the two styles, and even >a benefit to sans serif has been reported. The conclusion is inescapable: >this is a culturally-based characteristic. I'll buy that. But I also reserve the right to be a product of my culture and find serif faces easier to read. :^) >I have found that sans serif faces are, in general, very susceptible to >becoming difficult to read when they are loosly track kerned - that is, spaced >out horizontally. I think the kerning is ok in this book. There doesn't seem to be anything unusual about it. What is unusual is: There is a *lot* of leading between lines. I know that some is needed to facilitate finding the next line, but there's a practical limit. They exceeded it. The type seems to be printed grey, not black. This combined with the wide open line spacing makes for a light page. The font used (I'm not a true font connoisseur, so I can't identify it) has a rather large x-height, so that may have been the motivator to lead it more than usual. I don't know. But it would seem to me that one should let the x-height be whatever it is and lead for the line length and ease of reading rather than color. Trying to control color with leading (at least in this case) seems to be a bad idea. And printing body text in anything other than black (on a white page, at least) leads to contrast problems. It bugs me, and I see 20/20! I can just imagine someone with marginal vision sitting down to read this book in less than ideal light! >Since you mention that the >book is loosely kerned, it indicates a stylistic attempt to make a "light" >page, and thus they may also have erred on the side of too much horizontal >space as well. Is this the case? I think the biggest problem is the leading. Like I said above, I think the kerning is ok. I'm not sure what you mean by ``horizontal space'' but if you mean the margins, they're ok, I think. >The point of this long ramble is: don't assume the problems are due to the >lack of serifs; there are also plenty of other likely causes for your eye- >strain. And you may be right. When looking at a page that makes you hate to read it, it's hard to sit back and say, ``Is it because of the color or lack of serifs that I don't like this page? Or is it both?'' Know what I mean? You just want to take the designer by the throat, as you say, and ask, ``Why are you making me work so hard to read this book!?!'' Thanks for the insight! -- Geoff Allen \ It's so fast, it can do an infinite loop uunet!pmafire!geoff \ in 30 seconds. geoff@pmafire.inel.gov \ --Brian Bechtel on the Mac IIfx