Miles A. Tinker

The Effect of Typographical Variations upon Eye Movement in Reading

IN A SERIES OF experiments concerned with the readability of print, Tinker and Paterson investigated the effect of a number of typographical factors upon speed of reading. The original studies have been cited and summarized in book form (2). In these studies a number of typograph ical arrangements which retarded speed of reading were discovered. To know that one typographical arrangement is read slower than another reveals little about the nature of the perceptual difficulties responsible for the retardation in the reading when only reading performance tests are used. Considerable information concerning the perceptualproces ses involved can be obtained, however, by analysis of the oculo-motor patterns which occur during the reading. If a comparison is made be tween the photographic eye-movement measures obtained while reading an optimal typographical arrangement and when reading a less ef f e c tive arrangement, the analysis should reveal the specific oculo-motor patterns responsible for the disclosed differences and therefore indi cate the nature of the perceptual difficulties involved. The purpose of the present study is to make an analysis of the oculo motor patterns employed in reading a variety of typographical arrange ments. To do this, a series of nine experiments were completed in the Minnesota Eye-Movement Laboratory. To get an overall picture of the trends, an attempt will be made to coordinate the results from the nine experiments. The camera employed to photograph the eye movements has been described by Tinker (11).

Time Taken by Eye-Movements in Reading

1 The expenses of this study were met by a research grant from the Graduate School, University of Minnesota.

Effect of Vibration upon Speed of Perception while Reading Six Point Print

READING IN any situation where there is vibration of the reading material, as on a train, is apt to become an annoying experience. It would seem that the blurring caused by the vibration introduces a se vere visual task that may induce visual fatigue. In an initial experi ment, Tinker (4) found that vibration retarded speed of perception by 5.19 percent when reading 10.point book type. This was a significant reduction in efficiency. The typography involved was an optimal printing arrangement. The question arises whether the deleterious effects of vibration are increased when the typography is non-optimal. The specific problem in this experiment is to investigate the effect of vibration upon speed of perception while reading material printed in six point Roman (ordinary type) and six point italic type.

Effect of Line Width and Leading on Readability of Newspaper Type

A A PART of an extensive investigation of leading and line width in relation to type size, Paterson and Tinker 1 studied the influence of leading upon readability of 8-point book type printed in 7, 14, 21, 28, and 36 pica line widths. The results revealed that no significant changes in readability occurred when line width and leading varied over a rather wide range. The purpose of the present study is to determine the effect of varying line width and leading upon the readability of 8-point newspaper type. The choice of variables was guided somewhat by the results obtained by the authors I in their survey of printing practice for newspaper body type. This survey revealed that Excelsior type was more than holding its own over a period of years, that the use of 8-point type was rapidly increasing, that a 12pica line width was almost universal on the front page of newspapers, although line widths up to 25% picas were employed on editorial pages, and that set solid, ¥2, 1, and 2 point leading were most common.

Wartime Changes in Newspaper Body Type

R ESTRI CT I ON of paper stock allotted to newspapers makes vital the question of newspaper printing practice. B~th the chan~ which have been taking place during the past few years and further changes that might be made to conserve paper without reducing readability are of especial importance to editors and publishers. What modifications can be made in typography to save paper and at the same time maintain readability is a question already being answered in various ways by editors and publishers. The results we have ob. tained in several unprinted investigations on ne~spaper typograp~y may be helpful m the present cnsis. From three separate studies, no significant change in readability of newsprint was found for certain comparisons. Thus: (1) 7 point on 8 poiiit slug, 11% pica line = 8% point on 9% point slug, I!! pica line. (!!) 7 point on ~ point slug, 1~% pica line = 8 point on 9% point slug, I!!lh pica line. (8) 7 point on 9 point slug, 11 pica