RE: Recent User Assistance Studies on Printed Books?

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Lorraine Kiewiet wrote:

> Examples: for internationalization, we believe that the book 
> should be 7.5 x 9. For readability, the body font should be 
> serif, and more than 3 points of line leading are needed 
> between paragraphs. 

For internationalization, the book should use an ISO page size, such as
B5 (176 x 250 mm, about 7 x 9 7/8"). An even inch size isn't likely to
be an international standard. I've never heard of 7.5 x 9" as a standard
page size in any country, and this list of traditional American sizes
doesn't include it: 

http://home.inter.net/eds/paper/papersize.html#na

Europeans, we're told, prefer sans serif body text. Readability data is
inconclusive, I belief -- it probably depends on what you're used to and
a thousand other variables. Can't please everyone. ;-)

Leading isn't the space between paragraphs, it's the space between
lines. The "right" amount of leading depends on the font and the line
width, but 20% of the point size is a good starting point, and generally
what FM, Word, etc., default to -- so 10-point text gets 2 points of
leading. 

The space between paragraphs needs to be significantly more than the
leading or you can't distinguish paragraphs. I'd recommend at least half
a line, so for 10-point text with 2-point leading (a 12-point line), at
least 6 points. For large line widths (wide text columns), more would be
better. 

As for folio numbering, I dislike it, and I think must users do, too (in
a 300-page book, where the heck is page 7-29?). You can make a case for
it if send out manuals in binders and issue revision pages (how 80s!).
I've heard it can save translation money in some workflows -- I'm
tempted to say change the workflow.

YMMV, of course. :-)

Richard


------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------






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