Global Systems Science (GSS) books are design for easy reading both in hard copy and on computer display. To this end, we use some simple principles of page design that we call "Combined Online and Hardcopy Design" (COHD).

The trick is to realize that a person viewing the document on a computer will likely take advantage of the magnification feature in Acrobat to display only 1/2 page at a time (150% or so), making print size "larger-than-life" and very easy to read. However, in that mode, 2-column formats can be very cumbersome in that the reader has to alternately scroll up and down to go from column to column—very
irritating.

If you use text-block/graphic arrangements shown on this page as "Desirable Layouts", the reader will never have to scroll up to read from the bottom of the first column to the top of the second column. They can keep scrolling down continually. On the contrary, "Undesirable Layouts" are "forbidden" since they force the reader into the undesirable up/down scrolling when reading from column to column.

One other thing. Some of the arrangements shown have combination 1-column and 2-column layouts. In the 1-column text blocks, it's best to keep the column width under 5", since it's much harder to read very long lines of text. Other arrangements are possible, but these are most common and provide lots of flexibility. You can have 3 columns (appropriate for even smaller font sizes in hard copy), but just apply similar principle and it will be just fine. Imagine page layouts where each half page (top/bottom) is a readable page unit unto itself.

Combined Online and Hardcopy Design Strategies

Desirable layouts:

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Undesirable layouts:

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