RE: General writing question

["Wright, Lynne" <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- Kronos -dot- com>]

Nevermind font preference... I'd be questioning why they are still using printed docs, instead of pdfs.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tammy Van Boening [mailto:tammyvb -at- spectrumwritingllc -dot- com] 
Sent: January-26-17 10:20 AM
To: Wright, Lynne <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- Kronos -dot- com>; lonewriter-discuss -at- mailer -dot- stc -dot- org; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: General writing question

Because these are PRINTED docs., and they want Sans Serif font for both headers and body and it makes the body text very hard to discern from the headers, especially since all the paragraph styles are In Column as well. I am trying to do something to enhance readability and keep the text from competing with bold headlines in sans serif typefaces.

It's very, very hard to read as it is laid out right now.

TVB 


-----Original Message-----
From: Wright, Lynne [mailto:Lynne -dot- Wright -at- Kronos -dot- com]
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2017 8:15 AM
To: Tammy Van Boening; lonewriter-discuss -at- mailer -dot- stc -dot- org;
techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: General writing question

Speaking from the perspective of an ex-typesetter, using serif for text and sans serif for headings was never a standard for the publications we produced.  

If anything, over the 30 years since I was in the typography/publication production biz, the trend has been away from serif fonts. Sans serif is definitely the standard now; its considered more modern and easier to red, and the fine strokes in serif fonts used to be an issue in terms of display and readability on computer monitors. 

Look at pretty much any company's website or on-line documentation; I bet you'll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't use a Helvetica-like sans serif. 

When I see a doc that uses Times or similar font, I actually get a bit annoyed. It seems so old-fashioned.  

Everyone is entitled to their preference, but I wouldn't say that fighting for Times is worth the effort. If your client wants sans serif, why on earth wouldn't you give them what they want?

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Tammy Van Boening
Sent: January-26-17 9:59 AM
To: lonewriter-discuss -at- mailer -dot- stc -dot- org; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: General writing question

All,

Since the cows have come home, I have always, and I mean always, used Times or another serif font for body text and san serif for headings and I know that this is considered the "norm" or "standard" for tech. docs. That said, a new client is insistent on using sans serif fonts for both headings and text and it isn't pretty when you're trying to read this manual.

Does anyone have any hard references/links to sites that you could point me to that stipulate why this is the norm/standard for writing manuals?  Right now, my client considers everything that I offered as an explanation as simply anecdotal and not worthy of consideration.

Yea, I am about to punt. . . .

Thanks,

TVB


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