Re: question: fixed vs. liquid layout

> I notice that the problem is seen as a text-line lenght problem. I'd
> like to point out two reading, among many others on the topic:

...neither of which, curiously, mentions what I suspect is a material 
issue, namely fixations or saccades. It's been known for a century that 
we do not read (at least not immersively) word-by-word or 
letter-by-letter, but in chunks, with the eye jumping along the line and 
occasionally regressing. 

Quite clearly, this has implications when line length and font size are 
both tweaked. A narrow line with big fonts has fewer fixations; this may 
not lead to easier or faster reading.

-- 

    Joe Clark | joeclark@joeclark.org
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Received on Wednesday, 16 June 2004 15:22:37 UTC