Font Type (and Size) Matters…especially for ‘distance’ viewing

Serif vs. non-serif (aka…sans serif)

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATONS Spring 2016 - Althoff

Lecture 05a

“Visual” Type• Computer Screen / Projection (think

PowerPoint slides, then Internet browsing)

• Print (think handouts, exams, lab sheets, etc.)

• Media (think TV)

• Drive-bys (think street, business signs / signage, billboards)

Some background• “sans” is French for “_____________”• Can think of “extra” extensions as “_______” in

the serif font group….or as “__________” Ex. Rio Grande

• Times New Roman was designed for use in newspaper printing presses in 1932 and is not ideal for use in a modern printed book. It is also a very common font and can make a book appear amateurish—many “experts” strongly suggest selecting another serif font book type print.

Some more background….• ____________ are not easily readable on

computer monitors….the “little lines” may “flicker” more (although this is getting better with the improvement in monitor quality)

• Size matters….too…but that’s another day (although will offer: ___________ than 24 pt font is probably doing your audience/ students/colleagues a disservice)…suggest you at least go with 28 pt.

“Visual” Type• ________________________ - (think

PowerPoint slides, then Internet browsing)

Go with non-serif (sans-serif fonts)(except maybe scientific names)

Arial Franklin Gothic Calibri Trebuchet Comic Sans Tahoma

“Visual” Type

• ______ (think handouts, exams, lab sheets, etc.)

Go with serif Times New Roman Georgia Century Garamond Etc.

or san-serif Arial, Franklin Gothic, Calibri, Trebuchet, Comic Sans, Tahoma

“Visual” Type

• Drive-bys (think street, business signs / signage, billboards – bulletin board “stuff”)

Best use non-serif—especially for titles, headings, subheadings

But, if expect “close-up” reading…._________

FONTTYPE & SIZE

MATTER

Font Summary – PowerPoint Slides

• ______ serif fonts--unless for scientific/binomial names)

• ______ too small of font-- < 24 pt. is too small

• __________—do not switch (often…especially on the same slide) font types