Tips for Writing Mathcad Worksheets |
Studies have shown that people read up to 30% slower when information is read on a computer screen than when it is read as a hard copy. The key to improving the readability of your online documentation is simple and consistent design. For example, consistent use of head styles will clarify the organization of your presentation. Introduce each new section by letting the reader know the objectives for the section. Below are some presentation tips:
Use legible text. You should use legible fonts and sizes, and keep your text regions less than a screen width wide. Wide text lines are hard to read. Italic type and text that is not black on white is also harder to read on a computer screen. Use color for emphasis only.
Separate paragraphs. If you have multiple paragraphs of text in succession, put each paragraph in a separate text region. This will give you greater control over the appearance of your documents and make it easier to reset your page breaks and repaginate. Use hard page breaks to control the appearance of the pages with different displays and printer drivers. You should apply hard page breaks only after you are done with revisions, as your changes may affect pagination.
Use headings. Use section heads and subheads to help organize your material and break it up for the reader. Long paragraphs of solid text that run on and on are tiring to the eyes.
Use bold, not italic. Use bold for emphasis within text, but don't overuse it. Bold type is harder to read, and too many bold words will make the text appear choppy. Italic type is not as easy to read on a computer screen as on a printed page, so use it sparingly. Underlining should be reserved for hyperlinks.
Simplify style. Avoid using too many colors, text styles, and font styles in a document. Too much formatting can overwhelm the reader and make the information appear to be much more complicated than it actually is. Choose a few styles to emphasize information and use them consistently. Good design is invisible and does not distract from the meaning of the words.
Minimize scrolling. Remember that the reader will be viewing and using your material on the screen. Be sure they do not have to scroll back and forth too much in order to change values and see the results. Use of the global equals sign will help with that. It is also helpful to list your variables and definitions for the reader. The equation highlight features can be used to indicate where readers can intervene to manipulate values and see new results.
Organize your regions. Align your text, math, and graphics so the page does not appear cluttered and disorganized. See the section on aligning regions and using the Ruler guidelines.
Use Align Region feature. Use only a single space between sentences and words. Multiple spacing can lead to unsightly line wrapping on different displays. Avoid trying to align text by pressing the spacebar repeatedly. Most fonts have proportional spacing, which makes it virtually impossible to align text this way. Use the Align Region feature instead.
Size regions. You should also avoid using the [Enter] key to break a line of text in a text region. A reader who has a different display may find the lines break awkwardly if there are hard returns left at the ends of lines. A better approach is to reset the wrap margin for the text region itself by selecting the region, then grabbing the double arrow on the right side to shorten the region. This also prevents problems when editing and revising your text.
Provide hyperlinks. Provide hyperlinks that lead readers through your material in the order you wish them to view it. A table of contents with links to each section, or links within files to the next file will help the reader move along in a designated order.
Use "live" math. Math in Mathcad is live so use it to your advantage. Provide material for the user to interact with, suggest places they can change your numbers and variables, and give them graphs to see the results.
Organize your files. Number your files by chapter for easier organization later, for example, ch1_1.xmcd, ch1_2.xmcd, ch1_3.xmcd.