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Subject:Re: FORMAT: Blank Pages From:"Dan S. Azlin" <dazlin -at- SHORE -dot- NET> Date:Fri, 17 Mar 1995 03:27:46 -0500
On Mon, 13 Mar 1995, Bill Amos wrote:
> Beverly Parks writes:
> ----- Begin Included Message -----
> Does anyone still (or has anyone ever) use intentional blank
> pages in a document? You know, the kind that say "This page
> intentionally left blank." I know their purpose is to even up
> the number of pages in a chapter so that the next chapter can
> start on the right facing page. (As opposed to the left, but
> let's not get into *that* again.)
> We've been using them in our manuals, but I'm beginning to see
> them as being very wasteful and unnecessary. So what if a
> chapter starts on the left! The environmentalist in me has
> already removed them from the next version of the manual, but I
> was wondering what others are doing?
> ----- End Included Message -----
> I like to start chapters on the right page exclusively because most
> people flip through the pages of a book ("fanning" is the word?)
> keeping an eye on the right page. At least, that's been my experience.
> I don't consider it a waste to have an occasional blank page.
> Incidentally, does anyone still write "This Page Intentionally Left
> Blank" on those blank pages? Could someone explain why it's done?
> I'm always tempted to write "This Page Accidentally Left Blank", but
> I've got a family and bills and I need to stay employed....
> Bill Amos
> Objective Systems Integrators
> Folsom, CA
"This page intentionally left blank" was used to prevent the
copyeditor and typesetter from panicing when a blank ms page appeared.
This practice, of course, predates DTP but survives by inertial in some
places. Personally, I set up each chapter to insert a blank page as
needed to make the page count even. The reader typically expects to see
the first page of the chapter on the right side, and since part of my job
is to make his task of locating needed information easier, I try to
minimize the curvers that I through at him/her.
Dan Azlin ** WORD ENGINEERS, Technical Writing & Publishing **
dazlin -at- shore -dot- net
