Large Print Priced by the Square: Page Count and Cost When Type Grows

Enlarging type enlarges the book by the square of the enlargement. This paper computes page counts and printing cost for a 200-page textbook reset at 14, 18 and 24 point, under the stated rule that character area scales with the square of type size. The result directs spending: large print is the right purchase for the pupils who need it, at the computed multiplier, and a false economy when applied to whole print runs. Abridged large-print editions are examined as the honest alternative. Computed results: pages_at_14pt = 324, cost_mult_at_14pt = 1.62, pages_at_18pt = 536, cost_mult_at_18pt = 2.68, pages_at_24pt = 952, cost_mult_at_24pt = 4.76, cost_18pt_usd = 10.72, cost_11pt_usd = 4.0. Every number in this paper is produced by the accompanying script `compute.py`. SIMULATED, NOT MEASURED.