Re: length of text lines

Luke Opperman <luko(at)rocketmail.com> wrote:


>Perhaps I am the stupid one, but line length is basically
>the interior box size for a given section of text. You
>have a paragraph of text, you want it a certain line
>length. Meaning you want the box to be a certain width.
>You want it to be related to font-size, so use em.

Ah... yes, you're absolutely right. Excuse me a minute (the next sound you
hear will be me banging my head on my desk).

>This is getting back onto the style-sheet end of things,
>but theory needs application sometimes. :) As far as
>perfect length goes, it seems to me that online it is
>easier to read even shorter lines, say <1.5 alphabets.

I admit I generally use very short lines on screen. This is because I write
on-line help systems for a living and you don't get much screen space when
you're trying to put up help windows that don't obscure the application. I
would say take 2.5 alphabets as your top limit. Too short is better than too
long. Too-long lines are very hard to read. But if you go for way too short,
your right margin becomes hopelessly ragged and that is also hard to read.



--
David Meadows [ Technical Writer | Information Developer ]
DNRC Minister for Littorasy * david(at)heroes.force9.co.uk

"I've never made plans - most of the things that have happened
 to me are accidents. All you have to do is put yourself in the
 way of a few."  -- Roger Glover

HWG hwg-theory mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA