What's the appeal of digest-sized products?

[Ath-kethin]

Given everybody's thoughts here, I figured I'd fish out that digest-sized book I have and give it another shot.

Unfortunately, it's a single, dinky-ass sized book on a shelf full of full size books.

I couldn't find it!

True story, by the way. It's just also an amusing anecdote.

 

[J.Quondam]

Given everybody's thoughts here, I figured I'd fish out that digest-sized book I have and give it another shot.

Unfortunately, it's a single, dinky-ass sized book on a shelf full of full size books.

I couldn't find it!

True story, by the way. It's just also an amusing anecdote.

It's probably embarrassed. You should get it some more digest-sized friends so it feels more confident and shows itself again.

 

[schneeland]

Besides portability and a small inclination for more focus on the page, PDFs of digest size are comfortable to read on an 11" tablet (which is my main reading device these days).

 

[RealAlHazred]

I have the OSE box set (waiting for the new ones from KS) and it feels much more solid than the larger-sized box sets (like, say, the various Planescape box sets, or the 2nd edition Call of Cthulhu box). I have to imagine part of that is box-making technology (my 2nd edition Call of Cthulhu reprint box feels more substantial than my original 2nd edition Call of Cthulhu box) but another part of it, I think, is the more compact nature of the books inside. Maybe it's also hardcover vs. softcover, sure. But I feel like size has something to do with it.

 

[Ath-kethin]

It's probably embarrassed. You should get it some more digest-sized friends so it feels more confident and shows itself again.

Ehh. It knows how I feel.

 

[kenada]

I like digest-sized books when the text is designed for that format. In particular, I prefer reading single column text in a digest-sized book to multiple columns in a larger format. I read PDFs on an iPad Mini, so the smaller format is obviously going yo be better there.

 

[aramis erak]

Seriously.

I just backed a Kickstarter for an adventure module that I thought looked great. It has an interesting plot, great artwork, and promised to be a bucket of fun.

But then I noticed that the book was digest-sized, or at least not full-size, and I pulled out. I just don't understand the appeal of these tiny supplements - they don't fit properly on the bookshelf, and especially as my eyes get older they're harder and harder to actually read and use. They cost more or less the same as a full-size (8.5x11 or A4) book, but there's just less to them.

So clue me in, folks: what do you like about these small-format books?

• Tradition: Original Edition D&D was digest sized.
  • So were Starfaring (1975), Tunnels and Trolls (later in 1975), and Traveller (1977).
  • And a number of later games, too... Dragonlance FIfth Age being the one in my LoS at the moment.. Justifiers, as well. Kobolds Ate My Baby.
  • Defined size for proper digest is A5 or 5.5×8.5", depending upon "European or American?"
  • Trade Paperbacks typically range from 6×9" to 8×10", and B5 (~6.9 x 9.8"), plus a number of legacy sizes from England, the US, Japan, and Europe. Manga is usually a consistent size (JIS B5, which is slightly different from ISO B5).
  • Many magazines were digest sized until recently. Analog, Reader's Digest, TV Guide, Archie Comics Digest, and a number of non-pictorial adult titles.
• Portability: they fit more easily into smaller bags. More importantly, it fits in winter coat and military dress top-coat pockets. Or behind your army canteen (tho' that's hell on the binding with the old metal ones)
• Reading width: 5" wide pages with 1/2" margins are about optimal for single column text reading. Same as the Sony PRS series ebook readers; the kindle's slightly narrower.
• Ease of saddlebinding: Saddlebinding, also called "staple it through the center of the spine"
  • It's inexpensive - one or two staples per booklet
  • It's durable - 6 years of carrying Traveller LBBs and most of them have notable cover and corner wear, but are intact. Hardcover is better, but...
  • It can be done with pages printed on home gear. Including covers.
  • Lays flat when open, at least up to about 50pp.
  • With creative application of construction staplers, up to 50-sheet books can be home stapled. (Arrow T50)
  • Manual saddle staplers can be had for about $30. (I bought one last year)
• The other readily home printed formats are lacking one or more of those features
  • half-legal size, sometimes called "bulletin": 8.5×7": doesn't fit in coat pockets well... but it's classic for parish bulletins. Not all long-arm staplers accomodate it; coverstock is hard to find and expensive. Done by printing on legal.
  • Pocket-Box booklet- 3.75×5" to 4.5×7" - not so much a standard... but most old SJG, MetaGaming, and TSR minigames came in such sizes. Usually trimmed down from letter or legal stock at the printer, and saddlestapled.
  • A4 or Letter side stapled: doesn't like to lay flat, lose at least 3/5" (about 15mm) to the binding, often fully an inch. Standard for US Army field manuals in the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's. (Some smaller ones, like the Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks, were digest sized, a few others in custom sizes.) A T-50 stapler can physically bind 50 sheets or so... but you have to manually pean over the points. As with saddlebound digest, cover stock is easy. Thicker volumes can be done by making one's own staples... or by drilling and sewing.
  • Digest side stapled: only reason for this is too thick for saddle stapled. all the negatives of both saddle-bound and side stapled.
  • 4.25×8.5" - I only know one company that published in that size, and it was in the d20 boom. Fits in a shirt pocket. Columns at the narrow end of the optimal range. Forget full page art, tho'... Doesn't like to lay open past about 5 sheets, and theirs were 8 to 16...
• Acrobat Reader can print for home-binding for the cheapskates (like me) on letter.

I'll note that a number of companies are moving towards trade paperback and similar sized hardcover. TSR had a number of 6×9" books for both Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game and Dragonlance Fifth Age...

Oh, and if proper digest sized? if your carrying solution is optimized for letter, just use 2 stack...

 

[Bedrockgames]

• Tradition: Original Edition D&D was digest sized.
  • So were Starfaring (1975), Tunnels and Trolls (later in 1975), and Traveller (1977).
  • And a number of later games, too... Dragonlance FIfth Age being the one in my LoS at the moment.. Justifiers, as well. Kobolds Ate My Baby.
  • Defined size for proper digest is A5 or 5.5×8.5", depending upon "European or American?"
  • Trade Paperbacks typically range from 6×9" to 8×10", and B5 (~6.9 x 9.8"), plus a number of legacy sizes from England, the US, Japan, and Europe. Manga is usually a consistent size (JIS B5, which is slightly different from ISO B5).
  • Many magazines were digest sized until recently. Analog, Reader's Digest, TV Guide, Archie Comics Digest, and a number of non-pictorial adult titles.
• Portability: they fit more easily into smaller bags. More importantly, it fits in winter coat and military dress top-coat pockets. Or behind your army canteen (tho' that's hell on the binding with the old metal ones)
• Reading width: 5" wide pages with 1/2" margins are about optimal for single column text reading. Same as the Sony PRS series ebook readers; the kindle's slightly narrower.
• Ease of saddlebinding: Saddlebinding, also called "staple it through the center of the spine"
  • It's inexpensive - one or two staples per booklet
  • It's durable - 6 years of carrying Traveller LBBs and most of them have notable cover and corner wear, but are intact. Hardcover is better, but...
  • It can be done with pages printed on home gear. Including covers.
  • Lays flat when open, at least up to about 50pp.
  • With creative application of construction staplers, up to 50-sheet books can be home stapled. (Arrow T50)
  • Manual saddle staplers can be had for about $30. (I bought one last year)
• The other readily home printed formats are lacking one or more of those features
  • half-legal size, sometimes called "bulletin": 8.5×7": doesn't fit in coat pockets well... but it's classic for parish bulletins. Not all long-arm staplers accomodate it; coverstock is hard to find and expensive. Done by printing on legal.
  • Pocket-Box booklet- 3.75×5" to 4.5×7" - not so much a standard... but most old SJG, MetaGaming, and TSR minigames came in such sizes. Usually trimmed down from letter or legal stock at the printer, and saddlestapled.
  • A4 or Letter side stapled: doesn't like to lay flat, lose at least 3/5" (about 15mm) to the binding, often fully an inch. Standard for US Army field manuals in the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's. (Some smaller ones, like the Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks, were digest sized, a few others in custom sizes.) A T-50 stapler can physically bind 50 sheets or so... but you have to manually pean over the points. As with saddlebound digest, cover stock is easy. Thicker volumes can be done by making one's own staples... or by drilling and sewing.
  • Digest side stapled: only reason for this is too thick for saddle stapled. all the negatives of both saddle-bound and side stapled.
  • 4.25×8.5" - I only know one company that published in that size, and it was in the d20 boom. Fits in a shirt pocket. Columns at the narrow end of the optimal range. Forget full page art, tho'... Doesn't like to lay open past about 5 sheets, and theirs were 8 to 16...
• Acrobat Reader can print for home-binding for the cheapskates (like me) on letter.

I'll note that a number of companies are moving towards trade paperback and similar sized hardcover. TSR had a number of 6×9" books for both Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game and Dragonlance Fifth Age...

Oh, and if proper digest sized? if your carrying solution is optimized for letter, just use 2 stack...

This is a good point. I remember buying games in a number of different sizes over the years (I think the Batman RPG was digest size if I recall).

 

[Haiku Elvis]

Or, you know, use shelves. Maybe you aren't a shelf early-adopter, but many folks here can vouch for them.

Bah! Just a fad. They'll be embarrassed when people move on to the next craze and they are left with bits of straight wood stuck to their walls.

 

[Staffan]

This is a good point. I remember buying games in a number of different sizes over the years (I think the Batman RPG was digest size if I recall).

Back in the day, most RPGs here in Sweden were in G5 format (169x239 mm), which I thought was a pretty good size. A4 is a bit too big to read comfortably IMO.