Not too sure if I posted this in the right forum, but what's a good font to use when formatting a novel for printing? Is there any specific type of font used in this case? I'd imagine some are better than others.
Software is a pretty good designer, but it doesn't always get things right.
"Typesetting" in the traditional sense hasn't been done since 1978 as far as I know.
What you're talking about is typesetting.
People train for years to learn how to do it well.
There is far more involved than using a good font and "formatting".
I'm sorry to be so blunt, but it grieves me to see someone talk about such a complex issue in such throwaway terms.
Just to say: software is a terrible, terrible type designer. Don't rely on software to typeset your book any more than you would rely on it to edit your book.
Any particular reason why it's so terrible? It seems to be very widely used so if the software was really that bad then why do people use it? You'd think someone would step up to make it better if that was the case.
Btw, I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just trying to understand why you say this.
Any particular reason why it's so terrible? It seems to be very widely used so if the software was really that bad then why do people use it? You'd think someone would step up to make it better if that was the case.
Btw, I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just trying to understand why you say this.
Software, especially in the hands of the unknowning, will bork typesetting.
My lady friend is a printer. She uses software all the time and gets it right. Because though even the best software is imperfect, it CAN do 99% of the work.
Word, as Medievalist points out, is especially poor. Use one of the professional pieces of software designed for the purpose of type-setting. Just don't depend on it to do the entire job.
Times New Roman, 12 point size.
I think it's a matter of personal preference. I like Times New Roman 12 point size because it's easier to read. Cambria is easy to read as well but probably should be 11 point size.Close. Times New Roman, 11 point size.
Well I do have a copy of Indesign that I got from Adobe CS6 Master Collection just in case.
My lady friend is a printer. She uses software all the time and gets it right. Because though even the best software is imperfect, it CAN do 99% of the work.
What exactly are professional typesetters doing that Indesign or Scribus can't do in the hands of a capable computer savvy person?
Just saying they are needed doesn't give us a clear understand of the specific whys.
What exactly are professional writers doing that Microsoft Word can't do in the hands of a capable computer savvy person?
Just saying they are needed doesn't give us a clear understand of the specific whys.
Medievalist has already explained some of it, but to give you an idea, try this:
There's a lot more to good typesetting than flowing the text through a computer program. It's a design skill which few people have.
If you're still not convinced, format a Word document to look like a book as best you can, print it out, and then compare it to a book from a good trade publisher.
I get why you wouldn't use Word to set up your print file, it doesn't do the job properly. But, Indesign and Scribus both do a great job of it so long as the person using it take some time to learn the programs (it doesn't take long to do so).
I guess what I'm not convinced about is the absolute need to hire a typesetter to get a professional looking book. Personally I believe you can achieve this with some work. This is why I'm asking for specifics about typesetting. What can't be achieved by a DIYer and a few days of research?
BTW, I used a san-serif font type for my text. I choose it specifically for it's near machine appearance and clarity. I'm writing a scifi / military novel and I didn't want the flair of a serif font. It was a matter of style choose for me.