Iranian Journal of Ergonomics

Abstract

Introduction

The extensive development of written interactions in the current world of technology in one hand, and on the other hand noticeable dominance of English language in this milieu, has led to inadequate utilization of Farsi in such settings, even amongst native speakers. Lack of experimental data regarding legibility and readability of the printed and electronic texts related to this language has been the main theory behind the current research, which was designed to evaluate correlations between typography and reading performance.

Materials & Methods

Eighty four Farsi speaking university students, having no specific visual impairments, took part in the study. Frequently used Farsi fonts, edited in equal pixel areas and sizes, and were evaluated through legibility and readability tests. Word detection and word search techniques were considered for each test respectively. All trails were designed within similar visual interaction conditions to avoid any background biases.

Results

Statistical analyses revealed correlations between typography and readying performance in Farsi (compared to English). Amongst the six frequently used fonts studied, legibility was significantly higher in Yekan, t (83) = -2.649, p=0.012. Likewise readability was found to be significantly smoother in Zar font, t (83) = - 2.194, p=0.037.

Conclusion

On the whole, the current approach towards classification of Persian fonts confirms the outcomes of the present study. In other words, fonts frequently used for development of body of the texts usually have higher legibility, and types being utilized for presentation purposes mainly possess higher readability.