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> serif fonts Can't understand why websites choose serif fonts. I find long passages of text a chore to read when the font is serif. They're less readable tha

> serif fonts Can't understand why websites choose serif fonts. I find long passages of text a chore to read when the font is serif. They're less readable than sans-serif, as the little feet on every letter adds up to unnecessary visual clutter. And when rendered as white text on a black page, with compacted line spacing, the contrasty serif fonts won't be inviting to the reader.

iamacyborg 5y ago
Meanwhile, I purposefully change the font of ebooks I read on my kindle to serif as I find it easier to read.
leephillips 5y ago
“Can't understand why websites choose serif fonts. I find long passages of text a chore to read when the font is serif.” Reading books must be a problem, as most of those are set in serif type. The traditional view is that long passages are easier to read in serif fonts, but tastes vary, and there’s not a lot of good evidence for it. Personally, I find it to be true. Are you reading on a blurry (dpi < 200) screen? That could be the problem.
- exodust 5y ago
  Reading books isn't a problem because the serif fonts are tiny black printed letters on paper. Serif helps the small letters stand out. A computer screen doesn't share the same type size issues. When combined with high contrast, I favor the sans and am surprised anyone would prefer serif if given choice. A monitor with less than 200 ppi isn't blurry! If interested, here's the exact moment recently I thought "oh how I dislike serif fonts".... I think I bailed half way through... https://blog.thenewoil.org/why-to-care-about-privacy-after-years-of-sharing-data https://blog.thenewoil.org/why-to-care-about-privacy-after-y...
  - leephillips 5y ago
    At typical laptop distance, 200 dpi is around where you can start to see individual dots. This varies by individual of course, but I think that’s more-or-less right. That’s blurry. It’s also where font hinting starts to matter. Your example seems perfectly fine to me, and is easy and pleasant to read. I’m reading on a Surface Pro 3 that came out in 2014, that I bought on Ebay for $200 and put Linux on. It has a non-blurry screen, as do all phones these days. Non-blurry screens are essential for reading text, and no longer confined to the wealthy. Hallelujah!
galaxyLogic 5y ago
I agree the white text is a bad choice. Why? Because it is "aggressive" it is "in your face". It screams because of its high contrast. It distracts you from the content you are supposed to be reading. It makes you think you are in a black-room looking at some negatives. Perhaps some secret content. When you read you should be able to forget that you are reading, your mind just "drops in to the story". That happens with books with black text on white background. You read but you are unaware that you are reading. Your mind just consumes the content. Maybe part of it is convention since we are used to books and newspapers and magazines not having white text on black background. But I think there's more to it. Black background is like paint, whereas white background is lack of paint. There is no background there is only the text. There is only the content. Therefore you can more easily forget about everything else and focus on the content, on the message.

iamacyborg 5y ago

Meanwhile, I purposefully change the font of ebooks I read on my kindle to serif as I find it easier to read.

leephillips 5y ago

“Can't understand why websites choose serif fonts. I find long passages of text a chore to read when the font is serif.” Reading books must be a problem, as most of those are set in serif type. The traditional view is that long passages are easier to read in serif fonts, but tastes vary, and there’s not a lot of good evidence for it. Personally, I find it to be true. Are you reading on a blurry (dpi < 200) screen? That could be the problem.

exodust 5y ago
Reading books isn't a problem because the serif fonts are tiny black printed letters on paper. Serif helps the small letters stand out. A computer screen doesn't share the same type size issues. When combined with high contrast, I favor the sans and am surprised anyone would prefer serif if given choice. A monitor with less than 200 ppi isn't blurry! If interested, here's the exact moment recently I thought "oh how I dislike serif fonts".... I think I bailed half way through... https://blog.thenewoil.org/why-to-care-about-privacy-after-years-of-sharing-data https://blog.thenewoil.org/why-to-care-about-privacy-after-y...
- leephillips 5y ago
  At typical laptop distance, 200 dpi is around where you can start to see individual dots. This varies by individual of course, but I think that’s more-or-less right. That’s blurry. It’s also where font hinting starts to matter. Your example seems perfectly fine to me, and is easy and pleasant to read. I’m reading on a Surface Pro 3 that came out in 2014, that I bought on Ebay for $200 and put Linux on. It has a non-blurry screen, as do all phones these days. Non-blurry screens are essential for reading text, and no longer confined to the wealthy. Hallelujah!

galaxyLogic 5y ago

I agree the white text is a bad choice. Why? Because it is "aggressive" it is "in your face". It screams because of its high contrast. It distracts you from the content you are supposed to be reading. It makes you think you are in a black-room looking at some negatives. Perhaps some secret content. When you read you should be able to forget that you are reading, your mind just "drops in to the story". That happens with books with black text on white background. You read but you are unaware that you are reading. Your mind just consumes the content. Maybe part of it is convention since we are used to books and newspapers and magazines not having white text on black background. But I think there's more to it. Black background is like paint, whereas white background is lack of paint. There is no background there is only the text. There is only the content. Therefore you can more easily forget about everything else and focus on the content, on the message.