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Subject:Re: Justified and Unjustified Text From:"Delaney, Misti" <ncr02!ncr02!mdelaney -at- UCS01 -dot- ATTMAIL -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 18 Sep 1995 18:09:00 -0500
From: Price, Becca
Subject: RE: Justified and Unjustified Text
Date: Monday, September 18, 1995 10:50AM
I'm a good reader, and I *hate* justified text.
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From: TECHWR-L
To: internet!VM1.ucc.okstate.edu!TECHWR-L (Multiple recipients of list
TECHWR-L)
Subject: Re: Justified and Unjustified Text
Date: Friday, September 15, 1995 8:57AM
T> Does anyone have strong preferences one way or another. Can anyone cite
T> definitive information showing why one might be prefereble? Does anyone
T> prefer one style while operating under a style guide that uses the other?
Most studies show no significant difference in relation to search time and
comprehension of information between justified and unjustified text. Some
research indicates that poor readers have difficulty reading justified text.
As with all technical writing, consider your audience first! If your
publication is informal in nature and geared toward an audience with poor
reading skills, you should probably consider using unjustified text. If you
publication needs a more polished look and is geared toward an audience with
mature reading skills, consider using justified text. If you don't mind the
look of hyphens, they can be used in justified text to give the lines,
words, and letters more consistent spacing.
My articles on the subject are published in the annual readings of the
International Visual Literacy Association. The best work on the subject has
been done by Tinker, M.A. (1963). Legibility of Print; and Pettersson, R.
(1989). Visuals for Information.
