A quick poll on type size vs. printing costs

Digital Nightfall on 19/12/2009 at 17:26

It's getting to the point where formatting issues need to be decided (I'm talking about this: (http://cosas.ttlg.com/cot.asp)) so I wanted to get a clear idea of what people prefer so I'm not just guessing based on input from three or four people. The majority wins the argument, though to be clear I'm talking about the difference between size 9 and 10 font (though if large font wins by a landslide I may go up to 11!), and a printing cost difference of $3-$5 in the long-run.

Herr_Garrett on 19/12/2009 at 19:03

I didn't vote, but personally I think it's all the same, as long as it's not printed in godsdamn Times New Roman.

If it's a nicely crafted serif font (don't even consider printing a longer text in sans serif), such as Palatino Linotype or Book Antiqua, a setting with 11-12.5 font size should do the trick, with 1.25-1.5 leading.

Leading is also very important when considering readability.

Xorak on 20/12/2009 at 08:44

I voted large print just because from my experience the only reason to print it small is if a writer/publisher is specifically trying to cram tons of words to fit a 300-400 page format novel. But I personally don't have a problem either way.

Also, Digital Nightfall I don't know if you're looking for any additional beta-readers, but I don't mind giving a bit of time to help out.

Goldmoon Dawn on 20/12/2009 at 17:26

Lower price...

Lets face it, the content itself is the draw.

Digital Nightfall on 20/12/2009 at 19:03

Wasn't planning on ever using Times new Anything in any place at any time, but other than the general blah-overdone'ness of it, why do you hate it so much? (Ditto on the sans serif font... nothing screams 'printed off the internets' like a book printed in Verdana.) Also agreed on the leading point.

I sure hope that the contents provide the draw, but I never take for granted the importance of a quality presentation. (That, and far too often after giving a friend or family member a book as a gift, I get to hear them complain about how the print is too small... it becomes a major concern when you want someone to actually enjoy the reading experience.)

I appreciate the offer, Xorak. I'll keep you in mind. :)

ffox on 20/12/2009 at 20:28

Time goes by, we all get older and our eyes grow weaker. Great big print please!

redface on 20/12/2009 at 20:58

I voted larger. It really depends on the font itself though, some are still perfectly readable in smaller sizes. Font size in the PDF I sent you was 11pt, by the way.

Herr_Garrett on 21/12/2009 at 07:24

Quote Posted by Digital Nightfall

Because more than one page of text is extremely difficult to read in Times New Roman. It was never meant to be used in book-printing. It was created for New York Times when it went through a re-design somewhere in the 1920s.
The same with Verdana - and just about any sans serif. Created for webpages and advertisements, they are not designed to render legibility or readability easier for massive texts, but to call out READ ME!

Alas, here in Hungary book-printing is worse than shit, and they usually print stuff in Times New Roman. Ironically, it's the newspapers who never use it... :D

I like British and American printing, though. I only have one or two English books printed in Times New Roman (from several hundreds). I've always thought that Plantin and Meridien were nice. Preferably around 11pts.

Digital Nightfall on 21/12/2009 at 12:02

Redface gets a bigger vote because he's actually helping me with the formatting. He's a pro. :)

R Soul on 22/12/2009 at 15:29

Quote Posted by Herr_Garrett

Because more than one page of text is extremely difficult to read in Times New Roman.

Are you sure it's the font and that you're not reading boring books?