TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
OK, I see the sans vs. avec (may as well stick with French!!) serif font
debate is fizzling (I'm sort of sad to see it go -- sorry, some of us like
discussing the nuts and bolts topics!!), but I do have one thing to add.
(Again, sorry, those of your who said no one is adding anything new to this
debate. I do think this is a new slant -- I'll just say my piece and then
I'll let the debate die!)
In my research about techniques for developing documentation for a visually
impaired audience, some visually impaired (legally blind, actually)
students have shared some insight with me about fonts. They prefer sans
serif, and bigger and darker than our standard 11 or even 12 point type.
Having read some studies about how the serifs supposedly guide the eye (one
with full vision, anyway) across the page, but can wreak havoc for
dyslexics trying to focus on letters as separate entities (Tim Altom, you
wrote an article about designing for dyslexics, didn't you?), I assumed the
reason visually impaired students seemed to prefer sans was for the same
reason dyslexics do: because serif letters blend into each other. Not
exactly, one student told me. It's because of the uniformity of most sans
serif fonts. Serif letters tend to thin in places, but most sans serif
fonts have uniform thickness throughout. This student told me she actually
loses parts of serif letters because she can't see the thin parts, and she
can't tell what the letters are. She said she finds 16-point bold Arial
the easiest to read.
Anyway, sorry if I've given this issue a breath of life it didn't deserve!!
Rest in peace, font debate!!!!
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
