DISCUSSION: Multiple Text Styles on Same Page

["Lippincott, Richard" <rjl -at- BOSTECH -dot- COM>]

Beth Agnew asked:

>What do y'all feel about multiple text styles on the same page?

I hate it...at least when it's in the manner you presented.

It's just my opinion, but for the past few years as I've flipped through
a number of books I've felt that they're "overproduced."

By "overproduced," I mean that the book looks as though somebody went a
little wild with all the capabilities of the DTP options, saying "Well,
I -can- do this so I will."

I also see a lot of the use of "nifty" little graphics in places where
they're really not needed (like around the page number), or the use of
multiple graphic styles that end up causing confusion (If you want to
use a graphic like an icon to point out a helpful tip, that's fine. But
when you come up with a half-dozen different types of icons for a
half-dozen different tip categories, it becomes confusing. "Oh, there's
the pointing finger, does that mean 'Power User Tip' or 'Critical
Information,' I don't recall...d'ooooooh!")

Rick Lippincott
Boston Technology
Andover, MA
rjl -at- bostech -dot- com

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