Easy to read fonts for LCD/OLED screens

JxK · 01-28-2012, 04:45 AM

I know there are many favorite font threads, but the majority of posters respond in reference to e-ink. And I think what looks best on an e-ink device is not necessarily the most appropriate choice for LCD screens.

At the moment, on my nook color I'm using droid-serif. The choice is a bit of a compromise to be honest. I prefer both the droid-sans and merriweather fonts to droid-serif. However, neither has an italics version, which leads to obvious formatting issues in a number of books.

Thus, I'm curious to see which fonts other mobileread members use on their android devices in order to perhaps find a more perfect font.

pmcnz · 01-29-2012, 03:05 PM

Hi,
my answer is going to be a bit broader than just fonts but it reflects my experience with making ebooks easy to read on my Android device (Samsung 8.9"). Things I found that helped with readability (for a late-50s male):
1. Making the white space between lines = 40% to 50% of the text height
2. Adjusting the text size so the number of words per line normally ranges between 8 to 11 words
3. Setting the background colour so it is light gray / off white
4. Fast access to the brightness control to adjust screen brightness to match the room's ambient light level
Once I had all this, I then experimented with different fonts to find the one I liked most. It ended up being Droid Serif. According to a book "The Dynamics of Document Design", different fonts suit different styles of documents, but serif fonts are good for fiction, while sans serif are good for non-fiction.
Paul

01-28-2012, 04:45 AM	#1
JxK Enthusiast Posts: 49 Karma: 866238 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kindle PW, NC CM 7.2	Easy to read fonts for LCD/OLED screens I know there are many favorite font threads, but the majority of posters respond in reference to e-ink. And I think what looks best on an e-ink device is not necessarily the most appropriate choice for LCD screens. At the moment, on my nook color I'm using droid-serif. The choice is a bit of a compromise to be honest. I prefer both the droid-sans and merriweather fonts to droid-serif. However, neither has an italics version, which leads to obvious formatting issues in a number of books. Thus, I'm curious to see which fonts other mobileread members use on their android devices in order to perhaps find a more perfect font.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
An entire dress made from OLED screens (from Wired)	Nate the great	News	20	12-16-2009 05:52 AM
OLED Screens for E-Readers	kennyc	News	1	11-28-2009 09:49 AM
OLED, AMOLED screens	HansTWN	Which one should I buy?	3	07-07-2009 03:48 PM
Sony's flexible OLED screens	dadioflex	News	7	01-15-2009 07:06 PM
On cleaning LCD screens	Colin Dunstan	Lounge	4	06-24-2005 12:03 PM

01-29-2012, 03:05 PM	#2
pmcnz Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 97970 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Auckland, NZ Device: PRS-650, Kindle DXG	Hi, my answer is going to be a bit broader than just fonts but it reflects my experience with making ebooks easy to read on my Android device (Samsung 8.9"). Things I found that helped with readability (for a late-50s male): 1. Making the white space between lines = 40% to 50% of the text height 2. Adjusting the text size so the number of words per line normally ranges between 8 to 11 words 3. Setting the background colour so it is light gray / off white 4. Fast access to the brightness control to adjust screen brightness to match the room's ambient light level Once I had all this, I then experimented with different fonts to find the one I liked most. It ended up being Droid Serif. According to a book "The Dynamics of Document Design", different fonts suit different styles of documents, but serif fonts are good for fiction, while sans serif are good for non-fiction. Paul

Advert