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Kevin Kirton <kevin -at- k-tecs -dot- co -dot- jp> wrote:
>
>(About font readability) Dick Margulis wrote:
>
>> The determining factor in the process you are talking about is the
>> relationship among x-height, ascender height, and descender height, not the
>> presense of absence of serifs.
>
>As a relative newcomer, I find this fascinating.
Good. Be prepared to be ridiculed by Andrew, though.
I first read about the
>alleged superiority of serif fonts in one of David Ogilvy's books on
>advertising. He strongly suggested using serif fonts. He even claimed - if I
>recall correctly - that there was "scientific evidence" that serif fonts
>were easier to read.
He was merely promulogating a popular myth. There has never been a scientific study of this question. There have been many studies that purported to be scientific, but, from first principles, such a study is impossible to design; so it follows that no such study has been done.
>
>Surely the presence or absence of serifs must have some effect on
>readability. And that must have been measured objectively by someone
>somewhere. Anyone know?
Possibly they have some effect. Surely that is an untestable assertion. We do know a great deal about what makes type readable; but we do not know whether the presence of serifs has any measurable effect.
Dick
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