Abstract: The effects of physical image quality on reading and on perceived image quality from CRT and hard-copy (photograph) displays were studied. The results showed that as the image quality of a display increased, indicated by an increase in the value of the modulation transfer function area (MTFA), the reading speed and subjective image quality ratings increased. This change in reading speed and perceived image quality occurred similarly for both hard-copy and soft-copy conditions. If the image qualities of the displayed text are similar, hard-copy and soft-copy displays will yield equivalent reading speeds.

Keywords: CRT; Design; Empirical studies; Hard-copy; Image quality; Print output; Reading; Screen output; Software development; VDT/VDU

Originally published: Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 35th Annual Meeting, 1991, pp. 1432-1436

Republished: G. Perlman, G. K. Green, & M. S. Wogalter (Eds.) Human Factors Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction: Selections from Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meetings, 1983-1994, Santa Monica, CA: HFES, 1995, pp. 246-250.