Re: Online fonts and sizes -- more

Subject: Re: Online fonts and sizes -- more
From: Stan Schwartz <stanz -at- cam -dot- org>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 18:13:22 -0500

This is just a tad more on this subject. I have some time to call attention to one of the chinks in this study.

Have another look at the samples. Notice that each of the typefaces changes to another face as it increases in size. Comic in 10 pt. is a different typeface in 12 pt. and again another one in 14 pt. The same goes for all of the fonts (sizes) in all of the faces. The families do not contain the same faces at different sizes. They change with the size. Ergo, they shouldn't be compared. A type series is the same face at different sizes.

To borrow an analogy, at 10 pt. you are comparing apples and oranges. At 12 pt. pears and banannas are being compared. At 14 pt. the apples and oranges have become melons and squash but they are still being called apples and oranges.

In effect, by increasing the screen size for each of the faces, the resolution is increased for the larger sizes to afford greater detail to render the face more faithfully onscreen. A better study would take all of the faces in whatever sizes are desired, mix em up, assign each an arbitrary number and compare all of them for what they are. The results would be no surprise. Big detailed type is... (pick any positive attribute description) than small low-res type.

Factors that affect readability, usability, and legibility are interrelated and careful experiments must be designed taking this into account before any conclusions can be drawn as to their effectiveness. Typographic proficiency is a balancing act with all these factors of size and space. None can be taken in isolation.

Above is only one of many traits that were extracted by SURL for examination in ignorance of the interplay of the individual factors under test.

s

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