Some empirical research into students' typographical preferences

Abstract

This article focuses on some features of typographic layout and design and the possible impact of typography on comprehensibility and reader preferences. Reference is made to works by several authorities on the matter who deal with these issues and also to surveys of reader preference and reader performance conducted in various parts of the world. Some of the findings from these surveys are compared with the outcome of a local survey among in-service teachers studying at a distance whose first language is not English. Reader preference for specified typographical aspects of page layout and design was investigated in this survey, including font type, font size, headings, line justification and margin width.



South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.15(3) 2001: 111-118