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Originally Posted by Sirtel
I prefer 7'' and 8'' screens and the main reason is line length - I find longer line length more comfortable than shorter. Not too long, of course - I wouldn't want to read on a 10'' or larger screen with the font size I use.
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Originally Posted by rashkae
There is no truth in in subjective preferences and comfort. Everyone will have their preferred reading format, and I did not intend to debate that. (I even said I prefer the larger screen myself.). But speaking in terms of just basic reading speed, I think the science on that is .... relatively clear and well studied. It's a point I only bring up because someone is raving and ranting about things that shouldn't exist.
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A rather strange statement that there is no truth in subjective preferences and comfort.
Not quite sure what you are referring to with the basic reading speed? A quick Google search for studies comes up with the majority stating that longer lines are linked to higher reading speeds. Oddly, most of the studies also show that there is a wide variance between the line length where people read the fastest and the line length they feel most comfortable with. Basically, not much science and a lot of personal preference. The results on comprehension varied from shorter lines yielding higher comprehension to long lines leading to higher comprehension to the most popular conclusion that line length having no effect on comprehension.
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Mary Dyson (2004) conducted research on line length, and combed other studies to determine what line length people prefer. Her work showed that 100 characters per line is the optimal length for on-screen reading speed;
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Left-justified text is read faster than full-justified text.
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A medium line length appears to support effective reading at normal and fast speeds. This produced the highest level of comprehension and was also read faster than short lines.
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The Effect of Line Length and Passage Type on Reading Speed, Comprehension, and User Satisfaction states about 95 cpl is optimal for reading speed.
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This study examined the effects of line length on reading performance. Reading rates were found to be fastest at 95 cpl. Readers reported either liking or disliking the extreme line lengths (35 cpl, 95 cpl). Those that liked the 35 cpl indicated that the short line length facilitated "faster" reading and was easier because it required less eye movement. Those that liked the 95 cpl stated that they liked having more information on a page at one time. Although some participants reported that they felt like they were reading faster at 35 cpl, this condition actually resulted in the slowest reading speed.
Furthermore, line length had no effect on comprehension.
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