If you actually read the sources from the "well sourced" wikipedia page, you'll find that it's common that the longest line length tested = the highest reading speed. This is consistent with studies not linked from that page. http://www.makinggood.ac.nz/media/1266/ling_2006_fonts.pdf … https://web.archive.org/web/20150619221256/http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/72/LineLength.asp …
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There's obviously some limit -- a 40 foot long line surely reduces reading speed, but it seems like no one's tried to find the limit? When I talked to designers/typographers, they pull rank and tell me that "experts" know that shorter=better, but they also can't refer to sources
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But it's funny how they pull rank. The conversation usually goes like: Them: you should really consider looking at the data, longer lines are terrible Me: I looked at the data, it doesn't seem to say that? Them: oh, you can't trust data, you need intuition and experience
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In addition to the empirical literature, people often suggest I look at my analytics data. My analytics data appeared to show a slight improvement in engagement when I removed the CSS from my site (which may be noise). They'll then point all all sorts of problems with analytics
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Those problems are real, I'm using Google Analytics, which (by default) has profoundly bad measurements of engagement. But if it's so problematic, why did you suggest looking at it and only dismiss it when it didn't support your argument?
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This is something Andrew Gelman talks about -- if you have the same strength of belief in your argument regardless of what the data says, why make such a big deal about what the data says until it's pointed out that you're wrong about the data?
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My understanding is longer lines need bigger font and line height. Line length needs to harmonize with the context. I think its a question of style and aesthetics mainly. Source + game:https://betterwebtype.com/triangle/
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I've also heard this (for other parameters as well), but the vast majority of line length studies show a result where they vary line length without changing other parameters. A typographer told me this was proven in some book. I read the book. It was not proven in the book.
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So you’d rather trust nerd-driven studies conducted by a few random academics and institutions than results from trial-and-error tinkering and centuries of experience? If you’re looking for authority on the subject, see work of Jan Tschichold.
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This is the same argument people used against bringing data analysis into sports, trading, and (a very long time ago, phrased differently) various kinds of manufacturing, etc. What could nerds possibly know about the real world?
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