Pet hate

[Phil Claridge]

does anybody else hate trying to read articles in the mag when they use a coloured background, i find it very annoying, it spoiles my enjoyment of reading the article. using a colour background is fine for displaying the modelbut please put the print in black and white. i have noticed the newspapers are now doing the colour thing as well and it drives me nuts   rant over  regards phil(tired eyes)

[Mowerman]

I second that

[flytilbroke]

Yep, the print can be difficult to read.

 

In good daylight it can be sort of ok depending on the print and background. I mostly read my mags at nigjht in bed so it does get wearing and (add swearword) dificult to make the print out.

[Tim Hooper]

Black type on a dark blue background is my favourite......

 

tim

[Tim Mackey]

[Eck]

Very annoying

[Gaz Elliott]

It is said that text on pastel colour can be an aide to some readers... But clearly not here!!!

[Gaz Elliott]

colour evidence to support!!!

Now how do i adjust the background here????

 pastel colour

 

 

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Allan Jordan]

 Hi Eric, I'm with you on this one mate, it's awful. Perhaps Mr Ashby can tell us why it's done.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Tim, that's a bit magnified isn't it?

 

You can call me David, Allan.

 

RCM&E is the UK market leader by a significant margin over its rivals and we aim for the magazine to appeal to all readers from those who've bought the magazine since issue 1 (in 1960) to those picking up the magazine for the first time today. Those new to the magazine expect a certain standard such as they see in other mass market consumer magazines so it's in our interest to present the content in such a way that feels fresh and modern while not alienating our existing readers.

 

It's done just to give the magazine a little stylistic bent to be honest, to break up the pages, to make pages look attractive....it's called design in all seriousness and it's something we take seriously too in order to give the magazine, as I say, a freshness and appearance that helps it sell.  

 

There's been a trend in recent years for magazines to feature dps photos - double page spread shots - ie. in our case perhaps a single shot of a model using the sky/grass as the background over which text is laid. Personally speaking I find this sort of thing attractive however we appreciate that it's what our readers think that counts.

 

Can anyone point to a specific article from a recent issue please where they have had difficulty in normal room/daylight reading the text. We can't account for the power of your bedside lamps gents but if there is an article where we've got it wrong then specifically, we need to know.

 

Edited By David Ashby - RCME moderator on 02/04/2009 20:24:08

Edited By David Ashby - RCME moderator on 02/04/2009 20:25:02

[Ben Mullins]

Personally I agree with David . I think its great! It deffinatly helps split RCM&E from the rest. On anther note I also have to say the quality of the photos in RCM&E are better than others Trap and Lét for instanace. Your Pictures are always high quality and don't look as if they've been taken from a disposable camera!

 

 I May be alone on this but I think the way that David and team are designing the mag is above the rest.

[Fanyak]

Hi all, I think  I have already said this in another ocassion, RCM&E is the best mag I know and I know a lot of them.

Regards.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Thanks guys, very kind but I'm not fishing for complements - if there are any unreadable pages then please be specific and we'll haul our designer over the coals or hide his chocolate biccies..

[Tim Mackey]

Now thats just plain cruel and barbaric

[Matthew Lloyd]

Aye - don't go upsetting graphic designers!

[Phil Claridge]

as i started this i had better give an example ie page 22 in the march issue 42 and 43 and64 and 90  i am very sorry  if this upsets the graphic designers it just a pet hate of mine i still think rcme is the best of the bunch(grovel grovel) i would take away gd's choccy bisquits and give him ryvita till he sees the error of his ways

[Phil Claridge]

ps can you still get coal

[Terence Lynock]

Coal is no problem, just import it from Australia and flog it to Welsh power stations.

I must admit as a spectacle wearer I do struggle to read some print, I have seen some abysmal instances in magazines including white print on a magenta background and white on a sky background.

The worst I find is when small print is in bold so the letters turn into little black mishapen blobs,  just tell the graphic designers to borrow someone elses specs and try to read the print from two feet away, if they can do that its OK,

 

regards,     Terry

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Matthew - you're right there, they can wreak a terrible revenge if they get hold of a piccy of you ...er anyway.

 

Phil, ok noted thanks. Ryvita it is.  

Edited By David Ashby - RCME moderator on 06/04/2009 08:15:11

[Phil Claridge]

no butter no cheese and definatly no jam david

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Dave Towell]

Black print on a coloured background is used to help people with dyslexia .
( why have a word so hard to spell for people who can't?)

They now do it for referance manuals in the forces (black on pale green) and the police have started using it to. And the big uni's have started to.

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Thanks Eric.

[Terence Lynock]

 

 

One main reason for printing on coloured paper is most of it is recycled, it costs a lot of money to produce white recycled compared to a pale pastel as recycled usually comes out a off-white/yellowy colour due to the inclusions.

By colouring it the paper looks acceptable and doesnt have to be bleached, thing is I used to pay anything up to £4 a sheet for hand made yellowy paper.............I was trained as a craft bookbinder and worked for a museum as a document restorer for five years,

 

regards,          Terry

Edited By Terence Lynock on 16/04/2009 22:26:20