LO version 7.0 user guide template

I have just completed version 7.0 of the Preface and Chapter 1 of the Impress user guide, but now have a question about the template proposal from Olivier.

In the draft template the colour of the headings changes depending on which user guide you are writing/updating to bring the headings into line with the colours used for the front and rear covers of each user guide. This is a good idea, but control could be a problem.

My question is will all of the Documentation Team volunteers remember to change the heading colour? The instructions for colour change are at the back of the draft template and may get missed when somebody does not read the template instructions. Also, are all the volunteers confident enough to change the headings to a specific colour? I had no problem, but I am used to working with colour in user guides.

Solution is is to create a template for each user guide with the heading colours already changed. However, this is definitely extra work, especially when the template has to be updated.

Would appreciate opinions on this.

Regards
Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com

I am opposed to using different colour headings for different user guides,
both for the reason Peter mentions (regarding volunteers) and because I
think it detracts from a unified look for LO as a whole. I haven’t looked
at the draft template yet, but I’m wondering if all the colours are equally
readable.
Jean

The colors for other Guides are OK but for getting started guide it is
Grey. I don't think it will look good. Yellow for Draw would also be a
problem I think. When printed in Black and white I think most of the colors
will create problems.
Pulkit Krishna

Hello Pulkit

I have to agree with you about the colours causing problems on black and white printing.

The proposed Impress colour (a33e03) comes out medium grey, but is darker than the original colour used for headings. The LO green (18A303) is a very light grey.

Another suggestion — why not use the standard black for all headings? It will make it easier to manage the template.

Just tested the Note area colour. That comes out as a very pale grey.

Regards
Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com

FYI, for the print books (which are in b/w) I change the heading
colours to black because of these problems with colours printing too
pale.

Jean

Hello Jean

Should we change the template so that heading colour is black and solve this problem?

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com

Using black for all heading colours is certainly the easiest solution,
and I'm a big fan of "simplify, simplify" -- including using as few
font changes (bold, italic, etc) as possible, but that's a different
story.
Jean

Hello Jean

I will try an experiment.

Presently I am updating Impress Chapter 2. I will change heading colour to black, then submit for review. Yes or NO.

It will be very easy to change the colour if black is not approved.

It will be a few days before I have finished the Chapter 2 update.

Regards
Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com

I really need to make time to look at the v7 template and see what
other problems I think it has.
Jean

Hello, Peter,

I think it is reasonable to make user guides as functional and readable as
possible - they are not books for young children but technical guides.

As such the design of the text should be unified and - IMHO - the colors of
application should only be used on covers to distinguish the books/guides,
not as heading colors where they just cause readability issues.

BTW, has anyone tried what the new accessibility check tool says about all
these different heading colors proposed for different guides? IMHO,
accessibility is another issue that should be taken into account.

So, +1 from me.

Lp, m.

V V sre., 24. jun. 2020 ob 11:22 je oseba Peter Schofield <
psauthor@gmail.com> napisala: