Opinions on updated PDF/Print layout, thanks...

[mroberon1972]

Thanks for the opinions on the PDF sample. I have updated with many of your thoughts, and now have this as a sample:

http://www.ancient-awakenings.com/singlepages/valley preview.pdf

Thanks for all your help.

 

[annadobritt]

I was wondering if I could some opinions on the layout style in this sample PDF:

http://www.ancient-awakenings.com/singlepages/valley preview.pdf

Thanks.

Looks very nice. If this product is going to be a pdf, will you be offering a print-friendly version as well? If so, then leave out the borders on the pages for that.

Sounds interesting too.

 

[mroberon1972]

Looks very nice. If this product is going to be a pdf, will you be offering a print-friendly version as well? If so, then leave out the borders on the pages for that.

Sounds interesting too.

Yes. Borderless and bordered.

Will probably have the art in both the same...

 

[jmucchiello]

IMO, you should move the designation of PI and OGC to before the license. As you have them now, the look like they are part of section 15 of the license and as such reusers of your content would have to include your designations in their section 15 of their copy of the license.

Other publishers do what you did, but I don't think it's a good practice.

 

[Cergorach]

Looks nice, and a drop in 'setting' is a good idea, not something you see all that often...

The border is a bit crowded, maybe a bit to crowded, it takes attention away from the content. Maybe use a lighter color of grey (make it transparent or something).

I'm with jmucchiello, put the designations before the OGL License.

 

[mroberon1972]

How about if it stays on the same page, but is in a bordered box of its own? That way it is obvious it is not part of it?

 

[mroberon1972]

What about the font size differance between the monsters and the setting text? Did any of you have a problem with it?

 

[Cergorach]

What about the font size differance between the monsters and the setting text? Did any of you have a problem with it?

Uh? I didn't notice this... ;-)

 

[Prest0]

Layout looks good to me.

If you want to kick it up a notch, here's some nit-picky things most people won't consciously notice yet still further enhance the quality of the layout.

Single-space: Back in the typewriter days it was standard practice to put double spaces between sentences. It's the way my old typing teacher taught me in high school, too. But with modern desktop publishing two spaces are not only unnecessary but overkill. Double spaces between sentences are visual speedbumps--like the ones bracketing this sentence. Like I said--not a big deal but it does help visually clean up the layout. You can easily clean up the whole document with a simple search and replace.

Paragraph indents: Typically the first paragraph in a section is not indented. It's just a small visual clue that helps readers identify a new section. Of course, the header/subhead does that as well, but I guess it just reinforces it.

 

[annadobritt]

What about the font size differance between the monsters and the setting text? Did any of you have a problem with it?

I had no problem with the difference in font size, either on screen or printed out.