Quote:
Originally Posted by DuckieTigger
There is this big war going on (I don't get it either) arguing (and they are serious) which is easier and faster to read - serif or no serif.
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One my friend is able to read with super lightning speed. He used to be able to read a 400 page book for a school asignment in one sitting in library. He was driving librarians crazy. He sat down and was turning pages with unbelievable speed. After two hours he finished book that his classmates couldn't read in two weeks.
He can scan entire printed line in a good hardback or excellent paperback with one glance. So his eyes do not jump across the line, his eyes go in one sweep from top to bottom.
Such reading is very difficult and he has to concentrate very, VERY hard, so it is reserved for emergencies - like that school asignment. When reading for leisure he slows down. Also when he reads important texts, such as contracts he slows down to make sure he understands all nuances.
Now, let me get back to the serif - sanserif war.
He claims that he can only speed-read if the book is printed using serif font. He says that his eyes can't make a "snap-read" of the line if the words aren't connected by serifs. He also says that bad typography makes such fast reading very difficult.