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Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,483
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

Several of my new cookbooks have teeny tiny type, often in gray or some other light colors, in a wispy type face and lots of white space floating around. And some have brightly colored pages with type on them!

I WISH publishers would think about the cooks/users/readers when they design cookbooks. They should be made to USE comfortably in the kitchen.

Anyone else annoyed by this trend?

Super Contributor
Posts: 383
Registered: ‎01-05-2015

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

Sooner, I can't read the ingredients label at the grocer, or fine print on the back of shampoo bottles anymore (did they say rinse twice?) and I'm only in my late 50s. Was print always this small? And yes, I've seen cookbook designers think it's novel (pun intended) to pepper (not intended) text with grey font over colored papers, no less.

The editors must all be recent journalism grads with 20-20.{#emotions_dlg.bored}

Occasional Contributor
Posts: 9
Registered: ‎09-29-2013

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

At my age it's all tiny and faint, I live with my specs on and still squint at times, lol.

Regular Contributor
Posts: 193
Registered: ‎04-12-2010

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

Yes, yes, yes! It just drives me bonkers. I think it's worse in magazines, and it is driving me crazy. I lost one eye to macular degen. and my other one has cataracts which we are holding off doing anything to it because even though we all know that little surgery is almost foolproof, we've been waiting until the sight is worse. And it is!!

And Amasinggrace2, I'm with you on the shampoo and other products from the grocery stores. Why on earth are they doing this to us? I'm so glad there are others of you out there complaining of the same problem! It's just not me!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 32,483
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

On 1/29/2015 Amazinggrace2 said:

Sooner, I can't read the ingredients label at the grocer, or fine print on the back of shampoo bottles anymore (did they say rinse twice?) and I'm only in my late 50s. Was print always this small? And yes, I've seen cookbook designers think it's novel (pun intended) to pepper (not intended) text with grey font over colored papers, no less.

The editors must all be recent journalism grads with 20-20.{#emotions_dlg.bored}

LOL!!! No, I think they are ART school grads and don't think about designing to be READ!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,953
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

YES!

What's up with THAT?!

I don't need reading glasses, but that new style is a real problem for me. Honestly, I have no idea why anyone would publish with that faint print. It looks like tiny spider legs.

A Thrill Of Hope The Weary World Rejoices
Contributor
Posts: 44
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

Yes, I find that annoying & also glossy pages can be a problem trying to read.

I have some cookbooks that I purchased & thought I needed but they are taking up space in a cabinet in my computer room. I try to read them, either print is too small - pages are too glossy, I get annoyed and then don't bother. Have not found but one cookbook that I own that I can read without any problems.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 36,050
Registered: ‎08-19-2010

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

I wear magnifying glasses around neck and have a hand magnifying gadget in each room. Back of cake mixes..is that 1/3 or 2/3's. Horrible, any more. Forget pill bottles and ointments all that jumbled up writing where do you find the Directions even?

{#emotions_dlg.confused1}

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,347
Registered: ‎07-25-2010

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Does the tiny and faint type popular in cookbooks drive you nuts?

My cookbook library is so large I don't purchase many books at this point. But, when I get a line on a good one, I always go to Amazon and read ALL of the reviews, even if it means 2 hours of reading them, because that's where I'm going to find out stuff like this, Sooner.

I was also burned on Mario Batali's book, which had great reviews, but I thought was a dud. It turned out to be Mario talking about his trip to Spain with his female friend. And, BTW, he happened to throw in a few recipes. A FEW!!! This book was so lame. I donated it to the local culinary academy.