ATV
Closed Captioning
For this segment, we compared a monospaced font (Courier) to a proportionally spaced font (Times). We elected to use two serif fonts because we did felt that comparing a serif to a sans serif font would make it even more difficult to evaluate the spacing.
Participants rated the monospaced Courier higher than the proportionally spaced Times. We do not feel, however, that this necessarily reveals a preference for monospacing. The results are somewhat clouded by the participant's dislike of the Times font (which they had already rated poorly in the previous segment) and the difficulty in distinguishing between the spacing of a font and its size and serifs. Some participants were able to make the distinction, and remarked that they thought they preferred proportional spacing, although they disliked the Times font. Although the participants rated Courier higher, several remarked on how "spread out" it was.
For the purpose of comparison, we have also included data on how Helvetica (a proportionally spaced font) was rated by the participants with regard to spacing.
If the font itself is readable, the style of spacing becomes irrelevant.
|
Character Spacing
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All
|
Deaf
|
HoH
|
Hearing
|
Men
|
Women
|
Under 50
|
Over 50
|
No PC
|
|
Mono
|
7.3
|
7.6
|
8.0
|
6.6
|
7.5
|
7.2
|
7.6
|
7.0
|
7.3
|
|
Proportional
|
6.1
|
6.1
|
5.8
|
6.3
|
5.7
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6.4
|
6.3
|
5.9
|
6.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Helvetica
|
7.1
|
6.7
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7.0
|
7.5
|
6.1
|
7.7
|
7.1
|
7.0
|
8.0
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MONOSPACING (Courier font) (Figure 7)
I liked this the best of all the clips. It was the easiest to read.
It was better. Easy to read. More spread out, clear. I feel like I can read at a better speed and grasp the whole thing before it goes. I don't have to lean forward.
Too spread out for me. As if my eyes had to spread out to read it. I felt like I had to back up more.
I did not like this as well. I felt I was reading blocks. It wasn't pleasant looking.
My eyes were drawn to the space between the words.
PROPORTIONAL SPACING (Times font) (Figure 8)
I like the proportional part but not the font. In general, I think proportional fonts would be more readable but not this font.
I had to concentrate. I could sense the spacing was close together. I'd probably get tired of having to concentrate for a whole program.
A little too close together. I prefer mono spacing. It's easier to read than proportional.
I like it. I never felt that the letters were too close together. But they sometimes seemed a little hard to read but I liked the look a lot.
I found that one more pleasing. It's more compact and pleasing to the eyes. It's more normal. It wouldn't distract like the previous one would.
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