TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:space space From:Mark Levinson <mark -at- CRABAPPLE -dot- BITNET> Date:Tue, 10 May 1994 11:06:38 IDT
Word processors and typesetting machines automatically put the correct
amount of space after periods
** I don't know how sophisticated today's typesetting machines get, but
I don't know of a word processor that implements any difference among
the three periods in a sentence like "That will be $5.98 please, Mr. Jones."
one of the reasons for using one space when using
proportional fonts is that the period appears not in the center of its
space, but tucked in next to the last letter.
** I clicked through a few proportional fonts in Word For Windows, and
it doesn't seem to perform any such tucking. If anything, a period
placed between two letters seems a little closer to the right-hand one.
I know of no studies, but I have seen the "rule" about one space with
proportional fonts
** A recent issue of U&lc magazine shows an example designed to
demonstrate that 1 space looks right and 2 look wrong. To me it
seems to demonstrate the opposite.
_________________________________________________________________________
Mark L. Levinson | E-mail: mark -at- dcl-see -dot- co -dot- il
SEE Technologies Ltd. | Voice: +972-9-707102, ext. 230 (work),
Box 544 | +972-9-552411 (home)
46105 Herzlia, ISRAEL | Fax: +972-9-509118
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
