Text

Chapter 7

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Text in MultimediaText is used in multimedia projects

in many ways:Web pages

Video

Computer-based training

Presentations

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More Uses for Text in Multimedia Text is also used in multimedia

projects in these ways.Games rely on text for rules, “chat,” character descriptions, dialog, background story, and many more elements.Educational games rely on text for content, directions, feedback, and information.Kiosks use text to display information, directions, and descriptions.

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Formatting TextFormatting text controls the way the text looks. You can choose:

FontsText sizes and colorsText alignmentText spacing: line spacing or spacing between individual charactersAdvanced formatting: outlining, shadow, superscript, subscript, watermarks, embossing, engraving, or animationText wraps

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Font TechnologiesUnderstanding font technologies can be important when creating multimedia projects. The most popular font technologies are:

Scalable fonts: Postscript, TrueType, and OpenTypeBitmap fonts which are not scalable but provide more control over the appearance of text.

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Guidelines for Using Fonts

Avoid using many varying font styles in the same project.

When possible, use fonts that come with both Windows and Mac OS.

Use bitmap fonts on critical areas such as buttons, titles, or headlines.

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More Tips for Using Fonts

Use fancy or whimsical fonts sparingly for special effects or emphasis. Keep paragraphs and line lengths short.Use bold, italic, and underlining options sparingly for emphasis.

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More Guidelines for Using Fonts

Avoid using text in all uppercase letters. Use font, style options, size, and color consistently.Provide adequate contrast between text and background when choosing colors.Always check spelling and grammar.

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Formatting for Screen Display Apply these guidelines to multimedia

applications for display rather than to printed documents.

Test your presentation on monitors in several sizes.

Avoid patterned backgrounds.

Use small amounts of text on each screen display.

Text for a presentation that will be viewed by a large group of people must be visible from the back of the room.

For interactive displays, use consistent placement of hypertext links.