Visual discriminability of headings in text

T.R. Williams; J.H. Spyridakis

doi:10.1109/47.144865

IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Jun 1992

Visual discriminability of headings in text

T.R. Williams ; J.H. Spyridakis

Abstract

It is pointed out that writers and editors have powerful formatting and typographical tools available in word processing and desktop publishing software that can be applied to headings to visually reveal or signal the structure of text, and thus the author's perspective. Results of studies are presented which suggest that (1) visual discriminations among headings are easier for a reader to make when headings vary on fewer rather than more formatting and typographical dimensions, (2) size is the most powerful visual cue to a heading's hierarchical position, (3) relative size differences among different levels of headings of about 20% are more discriminable than are absolute size differences, and (4) formatting cues are perceived by readers consistently but not necessarily conventionally.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published: 1992-06-01
DOI: 10.1109/47.144865
CompPile: Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access: Closed
Topics: digital rhetoric
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Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Spyridakis et al. (1986)

Headings, Previews, Logical Connectives: Effects on Reading Comprehension

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

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Visual discriminability of headings in text

Abstract

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Cited by in this index (4)

Cites in this index (3)

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