Text in multimedia

1
Text in multimedia

• Why would course designers like text?
• The most inexpensive media to develop
• Least overhead in storage/transmission
• But text creation requires skill
• Good writing and effective use of fonts

2
Good multimedia writing

• Concise why?
• Precise and powerful
• That answer is correct vs. Terrific!
• quit vs. close vs out
• Write for your audience
• What background knowledge can you assume?
• Informal, casual or formal, business-like style?
• Why is a projects title important?

3
The Elements of Style, William Strunk

• Say it in active voice, not passive
• Genetic algorithms were invented by John Holland
  in the 1970s.
• John Holland invented genetic algorithms in the
  1970's.
• Avoid wordiness
• computer algorithm vs. just algorithm
• Avoid high-falutin phrases
• Appropriate incorporated vs. using
• Write and rewrite
• Bear in mind that users wont read as much on a
  screen

4
An example

• An introductory screen
• Within a program that aims to educate you on
  all aspects of networking, it seems most logical
  that we begin with the broadest definition of the
  subject matter itself. What is a network? More
  specifically, what is a computer network? These
  answers are not so difficult as you may
  believe.
• I propose rewriting it as
• What is a computer network?
• Why?

5
Fonts

• A typeface is a family of graphic characters
  including many type sizes and styles
• Times, Courier and Arial are typefaces, each of
  which include many sizes styles
• A font is a collection of characters of a single
  size style, belong to a typeface family
• Typical font styles are boldface, italic, bold
  italic, and underlined
• Times is a typeface Times 12-point italic is a
  font
• In computerese, however, people say font when
  typeface would be more accurate

6
Parts of graphic characters
Serif is decoration at end of letter
strokes Times Romans is serif font Arial is sans
serif
Font sizes are expressed in terms of points,
where one point is .0138 or 1/72 inch, and
size is the distance from top of ascenders to the
bottom of descenders
7
Spacing between characters

• Leading is the space between lines of text
• Lopuck recommends increasing the leading to
  improve readability of text on a screen
• Character metrics are measurements of individual
  characters
• Vector-based fonts permit changes to character
  metrics for interesting effects bit-based fonts
  do not
• Kerning is the spacing between character pairs
• Some fonts have variable kerning (e.g., Times),
  so have fixed kerning (e.g., Courier)
• When is fixed kerning more desirable?
• What about variable kerning?

8
Serif or sans serif?

• Print serif fonts traditionally used for body
  text
• help guide the readers eyes along the line of
  text
• Headlines use sans serif
• No need to guide readers eyes
• What about on computer screens?
• Dont provide as much resolution as print
• Sans serif is a little more legible, esp. in
  smaller sizes

9
Macintosh standardizes pixels

• Macintosh resolution of 72 pixels/inch,
  corresponding to standard font resolution of 72
  points per inch for print
• Supports WYSIWYG for desktop publishing
• Standardized pixels as square-shaped, so
  measurements are even on all sides
• On PC side, VGA imitated these standards
• EGA aspect ratio was 1.331, taller than wide
• Mac and VGA both 640x480 square pixels

10
Postscript

• Apple spearheaded desktop publishing by adopting
  Adobes PostScript
• Page description language for printing to Apples
  LaserWriter
• Characters were stored in a bitmap table
  representing every character at every size
• PostScript is vector-based describes characters
  in terms of mathematical constructs (e.g., Bezier
  curves)
• Facilitates scaling, drawing characters at
  various sizes and in various resolutions

11
TrueType

• But PostScript represents fonts for printer and
  screen separately
• Adobe Type Manager accesses a fonts outline in
  the printer font
• Scales it to display to the right size on a
  screen
• Apple introduces TrueType circa 1989
• Only one file per font, for printer screen, no
  need for ATM utility to do mapping
• Both PostScript and TrueType universally available

12
Anti-aliasing

• Both PostScript and TrueType fonts allow text to
  be drawn on any size without jaggies
• (jagged edges on the outlines of a character)
• Anti-aliasing exploits color by blending
  (dithering) colors along the edges of letter

13
Tips for fonts

• Avoid decorative (serif) fonts for small sizes
• Be consistent standardize on a few fonts
• Possible exception attention-grabbing headlines
• Surround headlines with plenty of white space
• Use different colors and backgrounds
• Use ample leading (space between lines)
• Avoid scrolling text (contiguity principle)
• Keep lines short (Lopuck recommends 3)
• Help user transition from line to line
• End lines with end of sentence or phrase
• Convert non-standard fonts to graphics