Re: TECHWR-L Digest - 18 Jul 1996 to 19 Jul 1996

[Marilyn Barrett O'Leary <moleary -at- LSUVM -dot- SNCC -dot- LSU -dot- EDU>]

>From:    Fridiric Wronecki <frederic -dot- wronecki -at- WANADOO -dot- FR>
>Subject: Line text length

>Ed. Weiss recommends (in his book "How To Write Usable User
>Documentation") that a text
>line should not be "more than 5 inches wide".

>Does anyone know if this recommendation is based on readability tests ?

>Isn't there a different "maximum width" according to the font used (i.e.
>shorter lines
>with SansSerif fonts), and to the font size ?

>--
>Fridiric Wronecki
>France Tilicom, Paris, France
>mailto:frederic -dot- wronecki -at- wanadoo -dot- fr

Fridiric: Weiss' recommendation is based on reabability tests. Although
there are different maximum widths according to the font used, these are
not appreciably different.  The five inche width has to do with reading
while learning, which is occurring during the use of a document.  It allows
the reader/user to keep his/her place on a page through some new material,
think, and even do things if they are being suggested in the text.  Have a
nice day.  Marilyn

Marilyn Barrett O'Leary
Louisiana Sea Grant College Program
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-7507
504-388-6349
moleary -at- lsuvm -dot- sncc -dot- lsu -dot- edu

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