Ryan: A4 is really pretty close to Letter. We could probably just set one version for both.

When I need to prepare documents that will be printed by clients in countries with different standard paper sizes, I use a custom page size in InDesign that has the width of A4 and the length of US Letter, i.e. the smaller of the dimensions of the two papers. This ensure that everyone can print the document without the print area being trimmed or any margins being uncomfortably small.

Ryan,

Set up your pages half-size of whatever "standard" you want, because the finished page will be closer to "ideal" book size. Then, generate a PDF file.

Next, use a very useful program like Quite Imposing to set up a print run which will allow you simply to chop the finished output in half, then place one half on top of the other. Bind same in a manner you see fit. Nothing could be simpler…really.

I have a commercial proposal for a franchise operation called Bibliophile Junction, which allows for on-demand printing from a rights-managed library, or as an adjunct service for eBook authors. Some of us old-timers simply do not like eReaders. OTOH, we will probably all be dead soon enough, and thus will millions of trees be saved…

This is full of typos and typographical oddities that will probably have a greater impact on fluency of reading than the typeface.

Trial 1:

(I make no claims as to being a book setter)

http://nonbookfonts.com/xtra/a_gentleman_vagabond_chap1_font1.pdf

http://nonbookfonts.com/xtra/a_gentleman_vagabond_chap1_font2.pdf

http://nonbookfonts.com/xtra/a_gentleman_vagabond_chap1_font3.pdf

http://nonbookfonts.com/xtra/a_gentleman_vagabond_chap1_font4.pdf

I also want to make clear that I dont intend this to be an absolutly scientific test that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt which sans font is best for long text setting. But rather to raise discussion and practical thinking about the matter, and to give a few readily available examples to draw from.

As this moves on, hopefully with the help of others here, I will try to set these texts in a better, more comfortable to read manner.

Thank you to all who participate.

To me Kievit and Caspari do a better job but both need more leading. I would also suggest increasing the top margin. I'm not sure about the typeface body size but 13 is quite big for comfortable reading. If I remember correctly Kievit wors quite well set 9.5/11 as a body copy face.

Regarding my margin suggestion. It's better to increase the lower margin and to have one of the side margins larger than the other.

Yes, I will have to set a new text, something without these 'typographical oddities.' I will increase the leading, and the top and bottom margin. Not sure if there would be any reason to have unequal side margins though, as this isn't going to be bound like a book.

Assimetry is better for visual interest than perfect simmetry.

Symmetry is a lost opportunity.™

hhp

So, is this the only text, or is there one for each font? for each user? for each size?

Just the 1 text in four fonts for now. Basically trying to come up with a format that makes the most people happy. Hopefully that will translate into the most amount of people reading it as possible.

I'm still open to suggestions for different fonts to try. The four that I used for the text so far are the four I think work best for long text reading, but I have been wrong before...

Caspari and Kievit are interesting to compare to eachother. At about 10 point (which is what all the texts are set at), to me they look fairly similar and seem to almost even have the same "mood." But when you blow them up and look at them in 200 point or so, you notice they are very different. Caspari is close to being mono-line, and all it's curve look pretty polished, whereas Kievit is not mono-line at all, and all it's lines and curves looks, well I can't come up with a better term than "hand drawn." Yet again, to me, at long text size, they feel remarkably similar to one another.

The Scala Sans sample I find the most interesting, however. It has such an "official," almost "clinical" appearance. Might be a bit too "formal" looking for casual reading (long text reading for pleasure, as opposed to research, education, etc...), but there is something very pleasing and "right looking" about it for body text, for say, a new prescription drug brochure.

Legato seems to take on very stoic, serious tones when set in long copy. I would love to see a copy of the bible set in Legato. As with Scala Sans, though, might be a bit too formal for long pleasure reading.

It's catchy. Opportunity for what?

@rs_donsata – An opportunity for putting a bit of tension and interest into it, is my guess.

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The bad justification and hyphenation is killing these settings. I wouldn't read anything set this way, regardless of the typeface. Since you are using a two column layout, I suggest you go look at a well typeset magazine such as Lapham's Quarterly and try to understand what makes it good.

John is right, the typesetting is very buggy. You can improve it much by simply using hyphenation and by using some paragraph bleeding instead of full line separations. Avoid widows and orphans.