Wally
I'm not sure if she reads this list, but please forward you comments to Barb at the Home Office. Barbara at ptg.org, That's where any changes in the print will have to come from.
Wim
-----Original Message-----
From: Wally Scherer <afinetune at yahoo.com>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thu, Aug 12, 2010 4:29 pm
Subject: [pianotech] shades of gray
My wife and I got home from a meeting tonight at 9:20 PM. She wanted to watch
er favorite TV program, so I, seeing my Piano Technicians Journal sitting
nopened on the coffee table, decided to take a few minutes to catch up on the
atest PT news and information. I eagerly ripped open the wrapper and opened it
o the first, then the second page. On seeing Ed Sutton's "Editorial
erspective" I became immediately discouraged. I turned up the lamp one step
righter, but it was no use.
I first started to notice a few years ago that I was not reading the Journal as
uch as I did in the late 1990's after I had first joined the PTG. I reasoned
hat perhaps I had learned so much in the first few years that the reading was
ot as interesting any more. But whenever I did take the time to sit down and
ead through an issue, I found it extremely interesting and useful.
Or maybe it was that I was so busy with work and life in general that I just
idn't have the time to read the Journal. But I had time to watch TV shows, so
hat was not the reason.
Then one day I picked up a journal from another field of endeavor and found out
hat it was easier to read than the PT Journal. Why? As I examined the latest
ournal I began to notice that since mid 2000, the type had changed. Before, the
rint was a dark black ink against a white paper. Now, the Journal was using
arying shades of gray, making the print harder to read. I went to the public
ibrary and picked up journals from several professions. In each case the print
as a dark black against a white paper. None of them used shades of gray!
WHY DO THEY FORCE ME TO STRUGGLE TO READ THEIR INTERESTING ARTICLES?
This is now the tenth year since the Journal articles and other useful
nformation has been printed with shades of gray ink, rather than black ink.
ust look at Ed Sutton's article on page 2 of the August 2010 issue and compare
t to the Randy Potter advertisement on page 3. Which is easier to read?
Flip through the Journal and look at just about ANY advertisement - page 7, page
, page 35, and page 38. Now compare the readability of the ads with the text of
rticles. Why is it that the ads are easier to read. Is it only the advertisers
ho want their printed material to be read with ease? Why can't the articles be
asy to read also?
I discussed this briefly with a former Journal editor and a PTG President last
ear at a convention. Their answers were a bit vague and unsatisfying.
It can't be that I am the only person out of over 3000 members who would benefit
rom a return to black print! Why can't someone do a survey among those who
till have copies of the Journal dating from before July 2000 and ask them if
he Journal articles of today are easier, the same, or harder to read?
Perhaps my near age 65 vision is part of the problem. Yes, I realize that I now
ave to use my glasses ALL the time to read. But that's no excuse for making it
ard on me and many other PTG members in my age group. Actually, I still have
elatively good vision.
I'm all for innovation and use of modern graphic design ideas, but not at the
xpense of readability!
Wally Scherer
------------------
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