Abstract
The legibility of text on the computer screen appears to be one of the most important problems that designers have currently, or any communicators perhaps. It may be that the paperless office has not come about largely because of the difficulty of reading text on the screen. More forests of paper than ever seem to be being consumed just so that people can read the vastly increased amount of information that their computers give them access to. Nor are high tech solutions such as greater screen resolution or non-screen presentations a solution for the majority of users because of cost and technical complexity. For instance Xerox’ proposal for screen systems capable of 300 dots per inch (Staples 2000) will not make a difference for the majority of existing users for quite a few years at least, nor for the huge numbers of potential users in low income groups and poorer countries. Such technological advances may further preclude many who are not yet users. Therefore the design of typeforms, forms of presentation and formats which are appropriate to the character and quality of the existing computer screen is important.
Citation
Gluth, S. (2004) Designing Text for the Screen: Setting Out the Criteria for the Legibility of Type Designed to be Read From the Computer Screen., in Redmond, J., Durling, D. and de Bono, A (eds.), Futureground - DRS International Conference 2004, 17-21 November, Melbourne, Australia. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2004/researchpapers/69
Designing Text for the Screen: Setting Out the Criteria for the Legibility of Type Designed to be Read From the Computer Screen.
The legibility of text on the computer screen appears to be one of the most important problems that designers have currently, or any communicators perhaps. It may be that the paperless office has not come about largely because of the difficulty of reading text on the screen. More forests of paper than ever seem to be being consumed just so that people can read the vastly increased amount of information that their computers give them access to. Nor are high tech solutions such as greater screen resolution or non-screen presentations a solution for the majority of users because of cost and technical complexity. For instance Xerox’ proposal for screen systems capable of 300 dots per inch (Staples 2000) will not make a difference for the majority of existing users for quite a few years at least, nor for the huge numbers of potential users in low income groups and poorer countries. Such technological advances may further preclude many who are not yet users. Therefore the design of typeforms, forms of presentation and formats which are appropriate to the character and quality of the existing computer screen is important.