Will My Visual Be Visible or The Bretz Rule of Thumb.

Rudy Bretz

Expert InsightsPublished 1974

Description of a simple way to calculate the size of lettering to use for a slide or TV title card--without having to first prepare the art work and put it through a camera. The problem is to determine if the visual will be visible on the screen in the largest room where it will be displayed from the position of the most distant viewer. The Bretz Rule of Thumb consists of two surprisingly easy procedures: (1) construction of a gauge, consisting of the user's thumb, and (2) application of the gauge to test the visibility of the visual. Once understood, this system is already committed to memory, and it can be applied to any method of visual display and to any medium. 11 pp.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1974
  • Pages: 11
  • Document Number: P-4919

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Bretz, Rudy, Will My Visual Be Visible or The Bretz Rule of Thumb. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1974. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P4919.html.
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