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Reading text from computer screens

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Published:01 December 1987Publication History
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Abstract

This paper reviews empirical studies concerning the readability of text from computer screens. The review focuses on the form and physical attributes of complex, realistic displays of text material. Most studies comparing paper and computer screen readability show that screens are less readable than paper. There are many factors that could affect the readability of computer screens. The factors explored in this review are the features of characters, the formatting of the screen, the contrast and color of the characters and background, and dynamic aspects of the screen. Numerous areas for future research are pinpointed.

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Eugen Grecu

The purpose of this up-to-date and well-documented paper is to review empirical studies on the factors that affect the readability of computer screens. It concentrates on research into presentation factors that influence the reading of complex, realistic displays of text. The authors focus on the readability, rather than the legibility, of text on computer screens. (They use “legibility” to refer to the identification of individual characters, and “readability” for the reading of words and sentences.) This paper is divided into five sections. The first section describes research that has compared the readability of computer screens and paper. The next four sections discuss research on features of the screen that may affect the readability of text: the character set, the formatting of the screen, the contrast and color of the characters and background, and the dynamic aspects of the text. This review of research results will help practitioners evaluate the guidelines they are currently using and determine the limitations of the available evidence. By concentrating on what has been found in experimental investigations of readability, areas for further research can be established. The difficulty of writing such a paper is considerable, due to both the large number of references and the synthetic effort required from the authors. The comparative study of paper versus screen readability at the end of the paper must therefore be highly appreciated.

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  • Published in

    cover image ACM Computing Surveys
    ACM Computing Surveys  Volume 19, Issue 4
    Dec. 1987
    56 pages
    ISSN:0360-0300
    EISSN:1557-7341
    DOI:10.1145/45075
    Issue’s Table of Contents

    Copyright © 1987 ACM

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    Association for Computing Machinery

    New York, NY, United States

    Publication History

    • Published: 1 December 1987
    Published in csur Volume 19, Issue 4

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