[Framers] OT: General writing question

[Ken Poshedly]

My personal experience agrees with the previously stated findings from so long ago. That is, san serif body text is a PITA -- especially when there are huge blocks of it.And the confusion between certain characters is MAJOR when you are presenting alpha-numeric data. So, going back to the basics:
1. Our purpose (or at least one of them) is to produce technical documentation that informs the reader how to properly, efficiently and safely operate the product at hand, whether that be software or (in my case) a 300-ton crawler crane.
2. Good publication design includes using "friendly" (i.e., serif) fonts and page layouts that will not tend to subconsciously annoy the reader so that they skip over important information. After all, who wants to read even one full page of nothing but san serif text that is one page-column wide? Anyone? Anyone? (Beuller?) 

No one? I thought so.

Skipping important info can result in software errors due to faulty operation by the user or (again, in my case) equipment damage, injury or death. Yes, some of this is subjective, but in the long run, serif fonts are more readable over many pages than san serif fonts.

Therefore, I suggest that good old Tammy find either in her own library or online samples of obviously "headache-causing" documentation just chock-full of san serif body text throughout and then print out perhaps five pages. Then find some obviously superior documentation with serif body text and san serif headlines/chapter titles and print out five or so pages of it.

Next, give them to your client and have him/her actually spend all the time needed to read each set separately.

Any of the following scenarios will occur:* He'll say no, don't bother me and just do what I said (in which case you should consider your options about even remaining there unless you like being micromanaged and the money is too good to pass up).

* He'll actually follow through but still disagree with you (in which case you at least did the proper and professional thing, and should just probably stick it out until there's someplace else to go).

* He'll have your hoped-for "Aha!" moment and see that you are more than just a clerk/typist.

And now let the flames begin . . .
 

    On Thursday, January 26, 2017 11:09 AM, Peter Gold <peter at petergold.photography> wrote:
 

 Have you searched the archives at Techwr-L
<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwiAq-OamODRAhVB32MKHYzPDz4QFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techwr-l.com%2F&usg=AFQjCNEM09fAaicdRMU6HP2284oBxL5zHg&sig2=2gUBic2iJUAjY78zcbtSNQ>,
and posted your questions there?

HTH

On Thu, Jan 26, 2017 at 9:14 AM, shuttie27 <shuttie27 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have no strong views on the use of sans-serif as opposed to serif fonts,
> though i prefer sans for headings and serif for body text (but not Times, I
> must say  - it was designed for absorbent newsprint). It used to be said
> that serif fonts are easier to read, but I believe that wisdom has been
> debunked long since. It would be important, if using two fonts of the same
> type, that they are not similar to one another, otherwise you will
> conference the reader.
> On these and similar questions, I recommend "The Non-Designer's Design
> Book" by (the other) Robin Williams. That and the companion "Non-Designer's
> Type Book" are great sources of wisdom, and an entertaining read.
> Regards,Roger
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my tablet.
> -------- Original message --------From: Tammy Van Boening <
> tammyvb at spectrumwritingllc.com> Date: 26/01/2017  14:58  (GMT+00:00) To:
> framers at lists.frameusers.com Subject: [Framers] OT: General writing
> question
> All,
>
> I know that this list is for Framemaker-related questions, but that means
> we
> are all writers on this list, so I wanted to post a general writing style
> question to the multitudes of gurus that I can reach as a result. . .
>
> Since the cows have come home, I have always, and I mean always, used Times
> or another serif font for body text and san serif for headings and I know
> that this is considered the "norm" or "standard" for tech. docs. That said,
> this new client is also insistent on using sans serif fonts for both
> headings and text and it isn't pretty when you're trying to read this
> manual.
>
> Does anyone have any hard references/links to sites that you could point me
> to that stipulate why this is the norm/standard for writing manuals?  Right
> now, my client considers everything that I offered as an explanation as
> simply anecdotal and not worthy of consideration.
>
> Yea, I am about to punt. . . .
>
> Thanks,
>
> TVB
>
>
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