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To: Dr. Sivana
Modern screens are of high resolution, and 14 point in PDF will be plenty legible.

The "modern" screen is often a smartphone or tablet. Whether a smartphone, tablet, television screen, or computer monitor, a sans serif font shows up clearer when pixilated. Serif fonts are made for paper.

29 posted on 12/11/2025 4:51:40 PM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: T.B. Yoits

I would suggest that a long, technical document issued by the State Department is better read on paper or at least in a PDF on the desktop. The default typeface for a document should not be based on how it looks on a Smartphone. Paper is still the dominant format.

I know, because I create documents to be read by FFIEC regulators. I use a combination of Helvetica and Narriw Helvetica for Titles and footers, and “LettrGoth12 BT” for body text. My text is 90% numbers in tables, so a monospaced typeface is essential. It is criminal that Microsoft includes hundreds of typefaces, and only a handful of monospaced ones, most of which are inelegant or not designed for print (e.g. Terminal).

A lot of banks provide files filled with Calibri text, which looks like it is almost monospaced, but isn’t. It isn’t an awful type face, but to me using Calibri screams we are a Microsoft shop as loudly as “Chicago” identifies a Mac user. (Palatino would, too, but only to those who know the backstory. AT least Palatino existed outside the Apple universe.)


33 posted on 12/11/2025 5:08:43 PM PST by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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