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Even if IBM said, "NEVER EVER EVER use Landscape orientation" in their style guide, your story proves why, for your situation, landscape is appropriate. If there is some sacred law, I've not run up against it. I used to document a Reporting system that ran on an IBM iSeries. I was required to have report samples, with data, so essentially screen shots. My text that explained the fields on the report was portrait and my report examples were landscape. This was 1995-1998 that I would have been working on this manual. I don't think we necessarily knew there was an IBM style guide back then, but I faintly recall looking at one of their manuals and seeing portrait and then landscape orientation.
Do it *especially* if it improves usability.
Happy Friday. Going bowling tonight!
Paul Hanson
Technical Writer
Quintrex Data Systems http://www.quintrex.com
email: phanson at quintrex.com
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+phanson=quintrex -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+phanson=quintrex -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Latella, Vincent
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 4:20 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Landscape vs. Portrait
<snip>
That said, are there any rules regarding document orientation that would apply here? I'm using IBM's style guide, and I couldn't find anything regarding page orientation in it. Am I violating some sacred law of technical communication here? If I go with a landscape format, are there any hidden caveats about which I should be concerned? Lastly, am I missing some far superior alternative solution?
</snip>
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