Font fix for annoying Analog Devices data sheets

[KE5FX]

I'm sure no one else is as annoyed as I am by the typography that ADI uses in their data sheets these days, but for those who are...

[Konkedout]

I am not so enamored with ADI datasheets.  But I do not notice any problem with the visual sample you show.  I do not find it difficult to read.

Rather, my peeve is with Arial and some other fonts.  Have a look at the attached image.

With Arial font, the I and the l look identical (or nearly so.)  This opens possibilities for ambiguity, scams, or maybe some "black swan" events where characters get confused.  For this reason I do not understand the popularity of Arial font.  Tahoma, Verdana and plenty of other fonts avoid this possible confusion.  In an era where minimizing errors can be critical, I feel that I have no use for Arial font.

[KE5FX]

I find those narrow characters so infuriating to look at, I can't read them for that reason alone. 

But yes, Arial and many other sans-serif fonts aren't optimal for this application.  ADI got it right 30 years ago when they were using plain old Times New Roman (or more likely Adobe Times Roman), they just couldn't stand to leave it alone.

[tooki]

I'm sure no one else is as annoyed as I am by the typography that ADI uses in their data sheets these days, but for those who are...

What’s really strange is that ADI doesn’t seem to have one single template for datasheets, even for brand-new products!

Looking at https://www.analog.com/en/new-products.html set to the default “in the last 3 months” view, we see (at least) six different datasheet designs:

https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/adl7075.pdf
https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/adm33051e.pdf
https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/adh943as.pdf
https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/max14515b.pdf
https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/ad4883.pdf
https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/tmc6460.pdf

Really fucking bizarre.

I could sorta understand if one doesn’t go back and proactively reformat all existing datasheets, since that runs the risk of introducing errors. But for new products?!?

[voltsandjolts]

I'm sure no one else is as annoyed as I am by the typography that ADI uses in their data sheets these days

You're not alone. The 25 year old datasheets are a much nicer read than that new crap where it's hard to discern the words from the jumble of characters.

[Dave]

What’s really strange is that ADI doesn’t seem to have one single template for datasheets, even for brand-new products!

Companies like Linear Technology, Maxim Integrated, Hittite Microwave, Trinamic Motion Control all had their own styles of datasheets. When they were bought up by Analog Devices, slapping an ADI logo onto existing datasheets and calling it a day was the path of least resistance, so that's what they did.

But for new products?!?

I think there is simply not enough pressure for any of the subdivisions to change their ways of writing datasheets. As long as the products sell, corporate probably doesn't care too much about a unified look of the documentation that the subdivisions release.

[Terry Bites]

It's a shame that AD ruined their latest datasheets. Why fix what were the best in the business to the most eye-aching fonts ever. I mean truly causing eye ache not just horrible to look at.
I feel like I've traveled back in time into a Telefunken valve catalog. Mittelschrift man...

[tooki]

What’s really strange is that ADI doesn’t seem to have one single template for datasheets, even for brand-new products!

Companies like Linear Technology, Maxim Integrated, Hittite Microwave, Trinamic Motion Control all had their own styles of datasheets. When they were bought up by Analog Devices, slapping an ADI logo onto existing datasheets and calling it a day was the path of least resistance, so that's what they did.

That makes total sense for existing products, or newly-acquired divisions. But not for long-term acquisitions like LT.

But for new products?!?

I think there is simply not enough pressure for any of the subdivisions to change their ways of writing datasheets. As long as the products sell, corporate probably doesn't care too much about a unified look of the documentation that the subdivisions release.

That’s the kind of thing corporate usually cares about a lot!

[rsjsouza]

There is a chance they laid off or severely reduced their technical documentation writing department in favour of either AI or self-publishing styles and forgot they did more than correcting typos and misplaced punctuation.

That or they need refresher course on Tridion