Message-Id: <9302081109.AA00525@sc.zib-berlin.dbp.de>
Reply-To: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project <LATEX-L@vm.urz.Uni-Heidelberg.de>
Comments:     Warning -- original Sender: tag was kris@CS.CHALMERS.SE
In-Reply-To:  <9302080708.AA19665@odin.diku.dk>
Date:         Mon, 8 Feb 93 11:58:34 +0100
From: kris@DIKU.DK
Sender: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project <LATEX-L@vm.urz.Uni-Heidelberg.de>
To: Multiple Recipients of <LATEX-L@vm.urz.Uni-Heidelberg.de>
Subject:      Grid layout
Status: R


Rolf Lindgren writes:

> As far as I can tell, aligned baselines stems from old mechanical
> typographical devices where it was difficult _not_ to get aligned
> baselines because type was set to a grid, and illustrations were set
> to fit into a series of blank lines.
>
> _SO_, naturally since we use computers and since a computer can
> automatize anything we want computers to automitize this effect for
> us. But is this feature ecologically useful?
>
> I'm thinking about the stress on the eye when spacing has to vary
> from illustration to illustration so as to keep the baselines
> aligned. What's better, really, psychologically: always the same
> amount of spacing around elements of the same kind, or aligned
> baselines to please an aesthetical designed of undocumented
> functionality which you'll only notice if you view two pages from a
> distance (this sounds harsher than it is intended!)

There is one very important reason for aligned baselines: when you
print on thin paper the printed material is much easier to read when
the `shadow' of the lines of text of the opposite page is located
`beneath' the lines of text on the current page.  This is mainly for
text with few figures, of course; and really the problem is not that
of aligning baselines in a grid but rather the baselines of adjacent
pages.  But still the problem remains important.

I am not sure what `ecologically useful means in this context but if
it means ``save paper'' then aligned baselines is definitely an
ecological feature :-)

Cheers,
______________________________________________________________________
Kristoffer H{\o}gsbro ROSE                     Internet: kris@diku.dk
Chalmers Tekniska H{\"o}gskola, Datalogi       Voice: +46 (031)7725019
412 96 G{\"o}teborg, SWEDEN                    Fax:   +46 (031) 165655