fonts and leading (text design in books)

[Listener]

When perusing the shelves for a genre novel (or any novel, really), can you be so turned off by the font (size or typeface) or leading that you decide not to buy?

Leading -- the space between the lines. Star Trek novels from the early 2000s has huge space between the lines and fairly large font. I've asked Keith RA DeCandido about this on his LJ and he said that the novels have the requisite number of words, but to me a book with big spaces and big fonts and only 250 pages makes me feel like I'm wasting $8 or so on a new paperback.

Font -- I'm reading a book right now that was printed in the mid-2000s. I only paid 50c for it at a secondhand sale so it's not like I was going to put it down because of that, but the cover price is $13. I wouldn't have paid that for this book no matter the cover copy.

I definitely put down Jennifer Government when it was big in stores because it was only 250 pages and had HUMONGOUS font and wide leading. And I've done that with certain Trek books (I'm a huge Trekbook fan) and even other books on the bargain pile.

[Sandikal]

As I'm quickly coming to the end of my forties, I'm becoming really turned off by tiny, closely spaced type in books.  Hardbacks and most trade paperbacks work pretty well for me, but I'm really careful about mass-market paperbacks.  I have a mass-market copy of "The Stand" that I've been wanting to read, but I've been putting it off because of the small print and the number of pages. 

I'm noticing that books seem to be printed with slightly larger fonts than they were twenty years ago.  I can only assume that's because of the aging American public.

[Planish]

When perusing the shelves for a genre novel (or any novel, really), can you be so turned off by the font (size or typeface) or leading that you decide not to buy?

Once. I totally forget the title, but the typeface was Optima.
No serifs. It was in the '60s, I guess they thought it looked sophisticated.

[deflective]

it was an odd journey to find out that sanserif was for the computer screen, serifs for the printed page.
i haven't looked into it but there's probably some theory about this.

[Planish]

it was an odd journey to find out that sanserif was for the computer screen, serifs for the printed page.

Well, except that sans-serif typefaces have been around longer than computer or TV screens, like 200 years before. Which is not to deny that at one point, sans-serif typefaces worked better on monitors. There's one typeface I know of, Lucida Fax, that was tweaked for use with fax machines.

Generally, serif for body text, and sans-serif for large text like headlines and signs.
Another major division in typefaces is whether the letters have combinations of thick and thin strokes (eg. Times, Optima), or just a single thickness used for all of the letter parts (eg. Arial, Courier). The smaller the text, the more you need the thick/thin combos.

i haven't looked into it but there's probably some theory about this.

I gather that typography is a really complex craft. Much of it deals with subtle differences that are intended not to be obvious. If you notice a typeface, then it's harder to read. It's probably changed a lot over the years, with things like computer-specific typefaces not having to deal with dot gain, but they do need to worry about dithering.

[deflective]

Which is not to deny that at one point, sans-serif typefaces worked better on monitors.

take a look around, how many websites can you find using serifed fonts?

sometimes it's interesting to take a trip on the wayback machine and see people figuring out what works best on the monitor.  some sites start with serifed fonts & tab indentation and gradually move to sanserif & block indentation.

plus, animated gifs.  how did we ever think it was a good idea to embed those throughout text?

[gelee]

Yes, big leading, what I call whitespace, is a big turn-off. You see it a lot in "celebrity" novels and autobiographies (Did someone say maverick?).  It's an obvious attempt to bulk up a book that is too short to stand on it's own.
Typeface?  As Planish said, I understand that it's very complex, and I'd like to know more about it, but it doesn't weigh on me too heavily. My eyes can take it, for now.  The only issue I've had was with a paperback of Atlas Shrugged. That damn thing had to be 4 pt. type. 

[Sgarre1]

The only issue I've had was with a paperback of Atlas Shrugged. That damn thing had to be 4 pt. type.

   Oh, you just weren't one of the super-special, ultra-talented people who were capable of reading it, that's all.  Or, more likley, you WERE, but the boorish mediocres/mundanes dragged you down and ruined you.  Oh woe is your special capability to be the true superior human, besmirched by democracy. (Oh yeah, I hate me some Rand) 

[Talia]

Haha, I've noticed that every single Robert Parker novel has HUGE spaces. I swear all his novels come out twice as long as they should be that way. I read em anyway, they're fun, but I get em from the library, not buy em.

[gelee]

The only issue I've had was with a paperback of Atlas Shrugged. That damn thing had to be 4 pt. type.

   Oh, you just weren't one of the super-special, ultra-talented people who were capable of reading it, that's all.  Or, more likley, you WERE, but the boorish mediocres/mundanes dragged you down and ruined you.  Oh woe is your special capability to be the true superior human, besmirched by democracy. (Oh yeah, I hate me some Rand) 

Oh, I managed, once I had invented a new variable focal polymer lenses for my specs.
Seriously, if you duck the philosophy, it's really a wonderful story.
But damn that print was small. I've seen the same thing with other books, especially super-door stops that have been tagged as "classic", sich as Moby Dick or Shogun.

[Sgarre1]

Oh, I managed, once I had invented a new variable focal polymer lenses for my specs.

Heheh!  Excellent!