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Posted by Alan J. Flavell on 06/08/05 13:36
On Tue, 7 Jun 2005, Spartanicus wrote:
> "Alan J. Flavell" <flavell@ph.gla.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> >> >I'm sure it's a perfectly fine choice for an individual to make in the
> >> >privacy of their own browser, and at a size of their choosing
[..]
> Authors often specify a size reduction of
> Verdana based on the usual pre configured browser serif font, often TNR
> @ 16px. Configuring Verdana as the user preferred font @ a smaller size
> like 13px therefore results in microfonts for the user on such sites if
> no additional measures are taken.
>
> That conflicts with your unreserved endorsement of Verdana as a user
> font.
"Unreserved"? Let's not go overboard ;-) I haven't chosen it
myself...
But I'm sure it's a perfectly fine choice for an individual to make in
the privacy of their own browser, and *at a size of their choosing*
> Verdana causes as much or more difficulties when used as a user
> font.
There can be knock-on effects if the author's sizing leaks through,
it's true.
[...]
> >the "ignore author font settings" in the operating system component
> >that thinks it's a web browser.
>
> That causes even more problems on www sites than using Verdana as a
> user font with a minimum font size.
Often because the author was trying to impose a fixed layout instead
of adapting to flexible design. Well, that may mean having to disable
yet more of the author's style for successful results. Some
over-designed sites are actually easier to use on Lynx than on the
author's intended browser.
> >But considerable improvements have been made both in display
> >resolution and in rendering technology, so it's undergoing a
> >changeover, the way that it seems to me.
>
> Increasing screen resolution causes yet more issues.
Indeed it does, but solutions are inevitable, since the problem is
increasingly widespread. MS already offers a half-cocked solution
with lots of ifs and buts - presumably they'll be improving it over
time.
> Current mainstream OSs use bitmapped UI widgets, these shrink on a
> higher resolution screen. As a result the number of screens on the
> market with a resolution higher than ~100PPI is very limited. I've
> used a 148PPI laptop, using it was a royal pain due to this problem.
As one data point, my office PC works at about 135dpi.
But font size (on a www-compatible browser) isn't the same as
bitmapped images and widgets. Of course I'm assuming that a competent
web designer would be sizing text in em or % units, not in px or pt
units or equivalent.
> If by "improvement rendering technology" you are referring to anti
> aliasing of fonts,
primarily - and hinting (I'm no expert in font technologies)
> this can only be achieved by enlarging the text.
At higher dpi values, a given displayed size of text will have a
higher resolution, that's the point.
cheers
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