From: dhosek@linus.claremont.edu
Subject: Font size choices (was Re: SWFTE Typecase)
Organization: Harvey Mudd College
Date: 17 Aug 92 17:20:12 PDT

In article <1992Aug17.215501.7172@uwm.edu>, hardiman@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Paul V Hardiman) writes:
> In article <oneil.714012630@cwis> oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu (Sharon O'Neil) writes:
>>dhosek@hmcvax.claremont.edu writes:

>>>In article <4811@dove.nist.gov>, gilligan@bldrdoc.gov (Jonathan Gilligan 303-497-3861) writes:
>>>> In article <oneil.713599413@cwis> oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu (Sharon O'Neil) writes:
>>>>>For most purposes, one would want to use a 12 point type anyway.  In my
>>>>>opinion, even 10 is a bit small for most purposes because it is somewhat
>>>>>difficult to read.
 
>>>> But if your principle text is set in 12 point, then super and
>>>> subscripts will be set at a smaller size (typically 9 pt or so), as
>>>> will footnotes. Super and subscripts in footnotes will be set at a
>>>> smaller size (about 6 pt). Since I do a lot of technical typesetting
>>>> (lots of equations), a document set with 12 pt type for the principal
>>>> face will contain lots of 9 pt and 6 pt type, so it's necessary to
>>>> have good-looking type at far smaller sizes than I use for the main
>>>> text.

>>First of all, I rarely, if ever, have the need to use superscripts or 
>>subscripts.  (I generally use the MLA format for writing papers, which
>>eliminates the need for footnotes.  I cite author and page parenthetically.

Never mind about the odd footnote (the text that is), or other
material that might be best typeset in a smaller size (extracts,
abstracts, indices, etc.) 

>>>To further muddy the waters, I would claim that other than
>>>single-column printing on US Letter paper or A4, 12 pt is
>>>distinctly too large for most text applications.

>>For most of my purposes, 12 point is just about right.  I almost never
>>have the need for a font smaller than that.  I have just about perfect
>>vision and I think that an 8 or 10 point letter looks like you're trying
>>to cram something on the page.  (For word-processed or desktop published
>>documents.)

It depends. If you're using 6.5in lines, sure. If you're
typesetting two or three columns on your 8.5x11 or A4 paper, 12pt
gets damned unreadable as lines become two to five words long. It
all depends on the application.

>>>On the other
>>>hand, with most of the piece-of-crud editing facilities provided
>>>by WYSIWYG systems, anything smaller than 12pt is distinctly
>>>illegible on-screen (gosh, what a surprise, the typography for
>>>on-screen viewing at 70-100dpi is different than that for
>>>printing at 300+dpi!) so perhaps that's the driving force. Sigh.
>>>Anyway, you'll be hard pressed to find many books aimed at adult
>>>readers typeset entirely in 12pt and larger.

>>A book is /not/ the same as a word-processed or desktop-published
>>document.  

Really? Where do books come from? Storks?

For a less specious response, take a look at some magazines
someday. Or newspapers.

However, a point: I never said that 12pt was useless for text
setting, simply that it should not be considered the universal or
even majority type size. On a 6.5in line, 12pt doesn't look bad
(with the reservation that it depends on the face, however).
 
> Why is this discussion limited to even point sizes?  I once read an
> article in one of the desktop publishing magazines that pointed out
> that much printed material is done in 11 point, which some studies
> revealed is appropriate for most people.  Since then I've done almost
> all my printed material in 11 point, and have found it comfortable.

Much? Not on my shelves. 11pt is fine for much of the same things
that 10pt is. But remember that there's no rule of thumb. You
choose type size depending on your format (how long are lines,
how much leading is used...), your audience (are they very old or
very young? will they be reading this work for the text or for
the illustrations?), content, expected reading conditions, etc. 

If you're writing papers on letter paper with 1inch margins, use
11 or 12pt type. If you're using realistic margins, go down in
size as the line lengths decrease. Remember that the larger a
font's ex-height is, the larger that font appears in text
setting. 10pt Helvetica looks about the same size as 11pt Times.

-dh

Don Hosek                  
dhosek@ymir.claremont.edu  
Quixote Digital Typography 
714-621-1291