Re: General writing question

[Ken Poshedly <poshedly -at- bellsouth -dot- net>]

Lynne,
It's all product-dependent. Like I said in my earlier message about font choices, one could be documenting software (where online, non-hardcopy is perhaps more and more the norm), but in my case (heavy construction equipment), hard copy books are just about (and may be legally) required. It's true that some operators or service techs _might_Â prefer to use their iPad or similar device, but in that kind of environment where there's a much greater chance of that tablet computer being smashed totally flat, a book is a small price to pay.
-- Ken in Atlanta

 

    On Thursday, January 26, 2017 2:27 PM, Julia Land <scribejulia -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
 

 I, for one, don't want to go online when I have a question about a setting
on my new washing machine. There may be many reasons to create paper
documents.

Julia

On Jan 26, 2017 10:00 AM, "Wright, Lynne" <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- kronos -dot- com> wrote:

> Nevermind font preference... I'd be questioning why they are still using
> printed docs, instead of pdfs.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tammy Van Boening [mailto:tammyvb -at- spectrumwritingllc -dot- com]
> Sent: January-26-17 10:20 AM
> To: Wright, Lynne <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- Kronos -dot- com>;
> lonewriter-discuss -at- mailer -dot- stc -dot- org; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: General writing question
>
> Because these are PRINTED docs., and they want Sans Serif font for both
> headers and body and it makes the body text very hard to discern from the
> headers, especially since all the paragraph styles are In Column as well. I
> am trying to do something to enhance readability and keep the text from
> competing with bold headlines in sans serif typefaces.
>
> It's very, very hard to read as it is laid out right now.
>
> TVB
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wright, Lynne [mailto:Lynne -dot- Wright -at- Kronos -dot- com]
> Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2017 8:15 AM
> To: Tammy Van Boening; lonewriter-discuss -at- mailer -dot- stc -dot- org;
> techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: General writing question
>
> Speaking from the perspective of an ex-typesetter, using serif for text
> and sans serif for headings was never a standard for the publications we
> produced.
>
> If anything, over the 30 years since I was in the typography/publication
> production biz, the trend has been away from serif fonts. Sans serif is
> definitely the standard now; its considered more modern and easier to red,
> and the fine strokes in serif fonts used to be an issue in terms of display
> and readability on computer monitors.
>
> Look at pretty much any company's website or on-line documentation; I bet
> you'll be hard-pressed to find one that doesn't use a Helvetica-like sans
> serif.
>
> When I see a doc that uses Times or similar font, I actually get a bit
> annoyed. It seems so old-fashioned.
>
> Everyone is entitled to their preference, but I wouldn't say that fighting
> for Times is worth the effort. If your client wants sans serif, why on
> earth wouldn't you give them what they want?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of Tammy Van Boening
> Sent: January-26-17 9:59 AM
> To: lonewriter-discuss -at- mailer -dot- stc -dot- org; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: General writing question
>
> All,
>
> 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, a new client is 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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