Note that there still have been no studies on its efficacy. At worst, it is a great font to avoid ambiguity between characters.
Coolness! I like the bionic font, but it’s more “just for me” than anything. This looks like a great default.
You should know there's a font designed to make reading easier, especially for people with low vision. It's called Atkinson Hyperlegible Next. It's free for personal and commercial use.
Submitted 5 weeks ago by snek_boi@lemmy.ml to youshouldknow@lemmy.world
https://www.brailleinstitute.org/freefont/
Comments
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
acockworkorange@mander.xyz 5 weeks ago
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Well i was just mentioning bionic, but the link goes to the OP’s subject
GlenRambo@jlai.lu 5 weeks ago
I dont get how thst don’t works. Surly it can’t know the word in advance and auto bold the first three letters?
I tried to get it working on Kobo and it dosnt seem to. Perhaps it was me though.
JustARaccoon@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Could be very advanced use of ligatures
homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
The bionic font? Good point, I don’t know how it “knows.”
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
You can also download it at Github without giving up your email address or agreeing to some dumb TOS.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Thanks, it’s a nice font for reading ebooks on my iPhone
NONE_dc@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I have been using this font as the default font on my personal laptop and I am more than happy with the way it looks and reads.
snek_boi@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
A couple of years ago I tried using the original Atkinson Hyperlegible (the one published a couple of years ago, before “Next”) on GNOME and my settings didn’t quite work. I had scaling at around 100% and increased the font size a little bit because I was having a hard time reading the font (the irony!). You inspired me to try again, but now with Atkinson Hyperlegible Next!
untorquer@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I think this actually has a negative effect for me. It’s like every character is now screaming for my attention, and my brain can’t read whole words and phrases. I have to process the letters first. Though it’s possible this could be more to do with the website’s rendering on mobile and default font size.
GreatBlueHeron@lemmy.ca 5 weeks ago
It doesn’t work for me either. Just reading the text on the page linked here was uncomfortable. It’s not like you describe though - for me it’s like there’s too much white space and there’s this mass of words almost floating around the page and it’s hard to keep track of where I’m up to. I am a bad/slow reader and all reading is like that for me - that font just seems to make it worse.
CandleTiger@programming.dev 5 weeks ago
I think this font is meant for people with bad eyesight. The website doesn’t make any claims about trouble reading for other reasons.
I’ve always read very fast with no problems but now I’m old and can’t see small print as easily. This font actually was much more comfortable for me to read without my glasses, which I guess is nice for me but no use at all for you.
How do you feel about comic sans and the open dyslexia font some other comments on this page are talking about with positive and negative comments? Do those make any difference at all to you?
untorquer@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
For me it was the default font size. Way to big on that page. Again, not target audience.
snek_boi@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
That’s interesting. I’d love to know if you have the same experience on a desktop and with different font sizes.
Flagstaff@programming.dev 5 weeks ago
It’s fine for me on mobile, and I’m glad that the “I” has horizontal lines. So many scammers adopt fake usernames by using an “I” (capital “i”) instead of an “l” (lowercase “L”) and vice versa.
untorquer@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
It’s just the font size. I have to zoom out to 50% then it’s pretty comfortable. But also I’m not the target audience and if my eyesight goes later on in life I’ll probably benefit. I’m glad sites are considering things like this for accessibility.
morrowind@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
Do you struggle with monospace fonts too?
untorquer@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Not at all.
RutabagasnTurnips@lemmy.ca 5 weeks ago
I see a lot of people discussing this font and mentioning OpenDyslexia.
I couldn’t find research on Atkinson Hyperlegible. It says it was recently this year, I also couldn’t find any research on effectuveness when I looked through the website. If I missed it I aplogize and would love to learn more if someone wants to take the time to link/copy the applicable info. My hope is since it’s a non-profit group focusing on helping those with vision problems it has been well developed tested for effectiveness. Certainly if someone wants to try for themselves please do. Before going all out though say converting large volumes of things or implementing for a classroom I think asking questions would be prudent.
Unfortunately OpenDyslexia does not actually help those with this learn disability! The authors of the below article do a good job of discussing why and the harm misconception/misuse of products like these can create.
Wery JJ, Diliberto JA. The effect of a specialized dyslexia font, OpenDyslexic, on reading rate and accuracy. Ann Dyslexia. 2017 Jul;67(2):114-127. doi: 10.1007/s11881-016-0127-1. Epub 2016 Mar 18. PMID: 26993270; PMCID: PMC5629233. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5629233/
Here is some more info and strategies for those instered in regards to dyslexia. childmind.org/article/understanding-dyslexia/
snek_boi@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
Thank you so much for taking the time to research and share you findings.
As to Atkinson Hyperlegible, I suppose its merit could be, at most, making it harder to confuse characters. This blog post shows how Atkinson Hyperlegible makes it easy to distinguish:
- Capital I, lowercase l, pipe |, numeral 1: I l | 1
- Capital O, zero: O 0
- Capital B, numeral 8: B 8
Beyond these benefits (and as you mentioned), there is just not enough information on whether Atkinson Hyperlegible definitely helps or not.
Also, thanks for the link on dyslexia. I suppose that, to an extent, promoting fonts like Open Dyslexia could lead to the unintended consequences described in the article.
xye@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
Damn, I was hoping the research would pan out here. I have problems reading longer chunks of text but OpenDyslexia has helped me with that. I read exclusively on my Kobo because of it.
RutabagasnTurnips@lemmy.ca 5 weeks ago
It would be great if it did show improvement when evaluated in research. The clinical evidence just isn’t there though.
There is nothing stopping someone from enjoying it out of pure personal preference though.
LodeMike@lemmy.today 5 weeks ago
Its beyond free for use, its OFL.
expatriado@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Only Fans Literature?
LodeMike@lemmy.today 5 weeks ago
Open font license
gofsckyourself@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Ordinarily Frisky Lingo
rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
Orange froot loop
BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
It’s also aesthetically pleasant which is a big plus.
AbsoluteChicagoDog@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
Not for readability it isn’t
CarbonBasedNPU@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
There is a balance to be had. Comic sans is great for readability for as much shit as it gets but it is ugly in most contexts so having something that is balanced to look good and still be more legible is a good thing.
brot@feddit.org 5 weeks ago
I have been using this font on my eBook Reader for years. It’s great. Highly recommended - it might look a little bit goofy at the first glance, but it really is more readable.
sicjoke@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Just installed it on my kobo and it’s fantastic.
HappyFrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 weeks ago
I really like the Roboto Mono Nerd Font
667@lemmy.radio 5 weeks ago
I just added this to my eReader. I’ve been reading g a lot lately and while I haven’t had any difficulty, I’m eager to see if it enhances comprehension.
Good post OP.
snek_boi@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
I’m glad you found it useful.
If you’re experimenting with fonts to see how they change comprehension, you could try Open Dyslexic too! It looks quite ugly, but it makes reading easier to me and another commenter on this thread. I suppose it’s a matter of testing what works best for you.
667@lemmy.radio 5 weeks ago
Thank you for that suggest. I had taken a peek at it a while ago and it’s too “wobbly” for me.
CarbonBasedNPU@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
If you havent tried it yet I really enjoy vollkorn.
667@lemmy.radio 5 weeks ago
That’s quite a nice typeface. I find myself torn between serif vs sans; when reading g a book it’s so ingrained to expect serif (I switched from Bookerly) that my eyes stuttered a bit when I started Atkinson’s.
As long as I can get the OTF or TTF files, I’ll try em all. You have any more?
LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I have good vision but I actually really like this font since i have a smaller phone screen! Anyone know how to install it on an Android phone?
towelie@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
It’s been a long time since I tried, but I tried to install Atkinson Hyperlegible on my android and it wasn’t possible without rooting the phone. Your manufacturer may have a way to add fonts, but for Samsung I was limited to downloading them through their Galaxy store, which had no fonts I wanted
fievel@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
The original Atkinson Hyperlegible (without Next) is available by default on some Kobo e-readers. I use it for a few months now and I find that indeed it helps reading at night (or without my glasses because it’s nice to remove them from time to time).
TommySoda@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
As someone that has pretty decent vision, I enjoyed reading this font very much. Imma have to download it just because it’s pleasant to read.
Steven@lemmy.studio 5 weeks ago
I also think it’s a good looking font.
ddash@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
This is probably a stupid question. If it is free for personal and all commercial use… which case isn’t covered by that? Could just say it is free to use.
NONE_dc@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
OP just tries to be as clear and transparent as possible, because there are times when someone says something is “free to use” but then in the “fine print” they hide limitations.
ddash@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
It’s actually on their page, so I didn’t try to call out OP on that (and not saying you implied that, just to be sure) but am actually curious if that means something specific.
DJDarren@sopuli.xyz 5 weeks ago
I tried to put this on my Kobo, but it just crashed it every time.
FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 weeks ago
Can I change fonts on my iphone, can I change it to this? I have a disability that impacts my vision and currently I’ve been relying on making text massive but this could be a better solution it sounds like.
acockworkorange@mander.xyz 5 weeks ago
I don’t think so. At least I couldn’t find anything on my settings app.
CandleTiger@programming.dev 5 weeks ago
No. Very irritatingly, iOS won’t let you install fonts normally.
In order for you to install a font, someone else needs to make an app for that font, and once you download and run the app that installs the font, that font becomes available anywhere.
This seems profoundly stupid to me and I do not get it.
There actually is an app for the older font, which you can find if you search for “hyperlegible”, where some guy is charging $2 to package up this free font for you.
Thanks, Apple. As usual you’ve done a great job ensuring that nobody gives away anything for free on iPhones
CarbonBasedNPU@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
I can’t say I blame the person charging when apple charges you to upload an app to the app store.
Mattster_Of_Puppets@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Would I be able to add this to my Kobo e-reader?
I wear glasses - but read in bed without them. I have a larger font size set - but thus looks like a clearer font too
fievel@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
So, legacy one (without next) is already available on a lot of kobo e-reader. But you should be able to install any TTF font on kobo: help.kobo.com/…/13009477876631-Load-fonts-onto-yo…
Mattster_Of_Puppets@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Awesome - thank you
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I switched my browser over to it to see how I like it. So far, so good.
JayGray91@lemmy.zip 5 weeks ago
At the top of the page, I can feel there’s something different. It really felt weird to read.
But the more I read and scroll it somehow gets easier? Something like that.
But most of all I appreciate that there’s differentiation for all the potentially confusing situations that can and has been used for scams.
Time to try it more widely I suppose.
letraset@feddit.dk 5 weeks ago
I use this font for any document I type up, if it’s to be consumed by anyone else but myself.
Kolanaki@pawb.social 5 weeks ago
It feels like Arial but with serifs.
thfi@discuss.tchncs.de 5 weeks ago
LaTeX packages are available, too:
Litebit@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
There is also font designed for faster reading. github.com/Born2Root/Fast-Font
Yingwu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
I used it for a bit on my e-reader but decided to switch away from it. It’s quite good either way.
CarbonBasedNPU@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
What did you switch to?
Yingwu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 weeks ago
Been switching between Literata and Vollkorn on my ereader. It’s super subjective in the end
towelie@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
Oh hell yeah I use Atkinson Hyperlegible everywhere. There is also Atkinson Monolegible for a monospaced font so you are stuck using Consolas
Smokeydope@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Thanks for sharing!
pineapplelover@lemm.ee 5 weeks ago
Looks normal to me
Dr_Nik@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
This is nowhere near as good as the Open Dyslexic font. It looks weird, and I’m not dyslexic, but damn it makes me able to read so much faster!
opendyslexic.org
AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 5 weeks ago
I wish there was an open font that tries to do the same thing, but with an aesthetic that wasn’t reminiscent of comic sans.
JustARaccoon@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
You’re looking at it, the one linked In the op lmao
Cosmonaut_Collin@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
But comic sans is funny
gofsckyourself@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
I find it ironic that their website has extremely low contrasting colors making it very hard to read.
(Look at the top left for the worst example) Image
darkstar@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
Yeah it’s almost impossible to read
snek_boi@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
I actually changed my Anki to OpenDyslexic a couple of months ago! I changed it again when Atkinson Hyperlegible Next came out, but I agree that OpenDyslexic makes reading a breeze.
My only grievance with OpenDyslexic is that I don’t think I could send reports with this font without pushback. On the other hand, I have sent multiple reports using Atkinson Hyperlegible and nobody has ever said a thing.
lol_idk@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
I find this harder to read than almost any other “normal” font. I wonder if I have some other reading impairment I’ve never been aware of - having recently discovered I’m also not neurotypical
Master@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
As a dyslexic its very hard to read. But dyslexia isn’t one thing. Its a broad catch all category diagnosis. So im sure it does help some. But damn its also ugly…
DonAntonioMagino@feddit.nl 5 weeks ago
To be honest, studies around whether this font is actually easier to read for people with dyslexia haven’t shown that to be the case. At least, that’s what I remember from reading about it in a Dutch skeptic magazine (Skepter). So if you have dyslexia and find this font harder to read, that doesn’t have to say anything about you.
i_dont_want_to@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 weeks ago
I wish this font worked for me. I think my brain is defective.
Flagstaff@programming.dev 5 weeks ago
I wonder how it works. Maybe it has to do with the intentional varying of the sizes of holes in letters.
cynar@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
While dyslexia is actually a cluster of related issues, a common one seems to be with dimensionality. Basically, the reader’s brain assumes the objects are 3 dimensional. When the eyes make micro adjustments, the letters don’t rotate, since they are 2D. The brain misinterprets this as them rotating, or moving. This is perceived as them flickering or moving, in the corner of your eye.
There are several ways to break this effect. I suspect the shape is intended to mess with and slightly overload the depth sense. Strong colours can also disrupt it. E.g. via a coloured filter or glasses.