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Tufte CSS

daveliepmann.com

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Re: Tufte CSS

#81

Post by acqq »

bane wrote: post #69

I think this: a) looks like a reasonable simulation of Tufte's print style b) is missing the point Tufte tries to make Tufte isn't saying you have to make your presentation look like his, his basic thesis is "don't add unnecessary things that take away from the clarity of your presentation" and he's made a name by critically analyzing other people's presentation and work to show where they've gone overboard and why t…

Yes, the first thing I've thought looking at the page on the computer was "I wonder how that looks on my iPhone." I've tried: not easily readable, for me.

Re: Tufte CSS

#82

Post by collyw »

acqq wrote: post #81
bane wrote: post #69

I think this: a) looks like a reasonable simulation of Tufte's print style b) is missing the point Tufte tries to make Tufte isn't saying you have to make your presentation look like his, his basic thesis is "don't add unnecessary things that take away from the clarity of your presentation" and he's made a name by critically analyzing other people's presentation and work to show where they've gone overboard and why t…

Yes, the first thing I've thought looking at the page on the computer was "I wonder how that looks on my iPhone." I've tried: not easily readable, for me.

Is it not the case that san-serif fonts are better on screen and serif better in print? Seems a bit strange that the webpage uses serif.

Re: Tufte CSS

#83

Post by acqq »

collyw wrote: post #82
acqq wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the first thing I've thought looking at the page on the computer was "I wonder how that looks on my iPhone." I've tried: not easily readable, for me.

Is it not the case that san-serif fonts are better on screen and serif better in print? Seems a bit strange that the webpage uses serif.

I actually like serif fonts on retina screens. The first "reader view" on the iPhone was serif and it was easy to read.

On the linked page the resulting size of the letters on the page is simply too small to allow easy reading. When the area to display text is so small, the designer shouldn't insist on the white margins or the comments on the side. On web page, the comments could be much better done in the "Wikipedia" style (showing on click). The design of the Wikipedia articles on the moment is actually good on iPhone. Much better than this, very natural to read.

Re: Tufte CSS

#84

Post by esquevin »

startling wrote: post #77
thirdsun wrote: post #76

I like it as a starting point, a minor sidenote though: What you perceive and describe as bright red links, code and sidenotes is for me, as a color blind, almost indistinguishable from the body text if it wasn't for the underlines and monospaced font. Those off-black and red colors are for me just very similar dark hues on an off-white background. If you want to highlight these elements the current red does a poor j…

I'm colorblind as well, and did a little double-take when I read this comment, but I think you misunderstood. "Other forms of text—for instance, links and code—are slightly lighter and sidenote numbers are bright red to distinguish them from inline text." Only the sidenote numbers are bright red.

Yes, I can confirm to you that only the sidenote numbers are colored.

Re: Tufte CSS

#85

Post by [deleted] »

Omni5cience wrote: post #66
JohnHammersley wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree -- I use that template for writing most of my documents now. It's also available to try out online on Overleaf if you don't fancy installing LaTeX: https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/handout-design-insp... (Note: I'm one of the co-founders of Overleaf, so any feedback appreciated, thanks!)

I went to one of Mr. Tufte's workshops several months ago, and I do believe he mentioned Overleaf while discussing LaTeX. I must admit I had forgotten about it until just now, so thanks for the reminder. It looks like a fairly slick interface (and a nice solution for what I recall was a relatively painful problem i.e. installing and using LaTeX).

[deleted]

Re: Tufte CSS

#86

Post by JohnHammersley »

Omni5cience wrote: post #66
JohnHammersley wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree -- I use that template for writing most of my documents now. It's also available to try out online on Overleaf if you don't fancy installing LaTeX: https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/handout-design-insp... (Note: I'm one of the co-founders of Overleaf, so any feedback appreciated, thanks!)

I went to one of Mr. Tufte's workshops several months ago, and I do believe he mentioned Overleaf while discussing LaTeX. I must admit I had forgotten about it until just now, so thanks for the reminder. It looks like a fairly slick interface (and a nice solution for what I recall was a relatively painful problem i.e. installing and using LaTeX).

Thanks -- yes, I believe he's used Overleaf in his workshops for the past couple of years (starting back when we were called writeLaTeX). The Tufte handout and book templates are ones we use again and again when we're asked for examples of such layouts, and they're very popular.

As an interesting tidbit re Overleaf, we recently passed the 3 billion pages compiled mark :) If you stacked up all those pages, you'd have a pile that's (roughly!) the height of Pluto: https://www.overleaf.com/blog/219-youve-created-three-millio...

Re: Tufte CSS

#87

Post by gabemart »

jacobolus wrote: post #46
sombremesa wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find that columns with smaller width and larger text are far more readable - any text that is the raison d'être for the page should be readable first, with worries about looking like a "children's book" becoming second concern. “Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it…

I don’t have anything against children’s books; I love children’s books! If the goal is to fit 2 sentences on a page with a big picture and individual letters that are easy to discriminate to help when just learning to read, then large text is a perfectly reasonable part of the design. Large widely spaced text is just not necessarily appropriate for other types of material, where fitting more text on the screen is an…

This is where portrait-orientated displays excel: http://i.imgur.com/D9MfvQN.png

Re: Tufte CSS

#88

Post by igravious »

acqq wrote: post #81
bane wrote: post #69

I think this: a) looks like a reasonable simulation of Tufte's print style b) is missing the point Tufte tries to make Tufte isn't saying you have to make your presentation look like his, his basic thesis is "don't add unnecessary things that take away from the clarity of your presentation" and he's made a name by critically analyzing other people's presentation and work to show where they've gone overboard and why t…

Yes, the first thing I've thought looking at the page on the computer was "I wonder how that looks on my iPhone." I've tried: not easily readable, for me.

Seems readable on my HTC One M8s. http://imgur.com/JfRaLRJ

Re: Tufte CSS

#89

Post by rglullis »

fiatjaf wrote: post #50
packetslave wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might want to educate yourself. He's rather well known. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Tufte

"Educate"? Are you serious? Knowing famous people is education now?

AT the very least, knowing why some people are famous in their industry or field.

Re: Tufte CSS

#90

Post by oneeyedpigeon »

jacobolus wrote: post #46
sombremesa wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find that columns with smaller width and larger text are far more readable - any text that is the raison d'être for the page should be readable first, with worries about looking like a "children's book" becoming second concern. “Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it…

I don’t have anything against children’s books; I love children’s books! If the goal is to fit 2 sentences on a page with a big picture and individual letters that are easy to discriminate to help when just learning to read, then large text is a perfectly reasonable part of the design. Large widely spaced text is just not necessarily appropriate for other types of material, where fitting more text on the screen is an…

This will obviously depend upon what device you're using, but hold a book up in front of you at about the distance you would typically read it (this should be MUCH closer than your screen!). Now compare the size of the text (admittedly, this is tricky because of focus, but it's just about possible) - the font size in the example is pretty much exactly the same as in a typical book, for me at least.

Designers have, for a long time, thought that 'small text is cool/looks better' but there has been a pushback on this by web designers over the past few years. Maybe even HN will one day update its styles for readability; at least a shorter line-length/larger leading would be a great start.

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