Effects of different task factors on speed and preferences in Chinese handwriting

This study was conducted to determine the speed of Chinese handwriting and explore the effects of the task factors, tool type, paper texture, writing plane angle, and line spacing on writing speed and subjective preferences. The results showed that the average duration of writing a 9-stroke character was 1487 ms. Paper texture and line spacing had a significant effect on production speed. Uncoated paper and 3 mm-line spacing enhanced writing speed. Subjects had clear preferences for writing with a pen, on uncoated paper, in a horizontal plane, and with relatively wide line spacing (5 mm/7 mm/lineless). There was a conflict between writing speed and personal preference on the line spacing factor. Although narrow line spacing (3 mm) increased writing speed, it was not preferred by the subjects over wider spacing on the evaluation attributes of comfort, ease, fatigue, and overall preference. To take a balance between writing speed and personal preference, a line spacing of at least 5 mm is recommended. © 2005 Taylor & Francis Ltd.