User:Suddenity/sandbox

The Scroll
Margins are an important method of organizing the written word, and have been in use since before the book (or codex) as we know it was invented. In ancient Egypt, writing was recorded on papyrus scrolls. Egyptian papyrus scrolls could reach up to 30 meters in length, and contained text organized in columns laid out from left to right along the scroll. Columns were referred to as pagina (or pages) and were separated by margins, so that scrolls could be unrolled horizontally, uncovering individual sections one by one. Thus, in papyrus scrolls margins performed the function of visually signalling to readers when to stop reading and move down to the next line of text.

The Codex
During the first 3 centuries B.C.E., the scroll gradually began to be replaced by the codex. Rather than storing text on one long, continuous piece of papyrus, the codex was constructed of individual pieces of parchment, bound together on one side. Now that each page was separated physically from all the rest, margins became less necessary in distinguishing the beginning and end of the text-block. However, they took on a new role. Before the codex, commentaries about a text were usually recorded on separate scrolls. With the advent of the codex, margins (having been largely stripped of their original function) became extra space which could be used to incorporate commentaries next to the original text. Extra text or images included in the margins of codices are called marginalia. Scholarly commentaries included in margins next to their source text are known as scholia. However, this was not the only purpose margins served in the codex. Even when no commentaries were added, most books continued to leave space around the text-block on all sides of each page. This marginal space served several purposes. Leaving blank space around text protects the typeblock by giving the reader somewhere to put his or her thumbs while holding the book. In addition, that blank space serves an important role in reading and understanding text. The exact effect of margins on legibility has been debated, but some scholars contend that without empty space to offset text, the task of reading could take more than twice as long. Finally, margins serve an aesthetic function by framing text inside a blank border.

The Printed Book
With the invention of the printing press, books began to be manufactured in large numbers. As paper began to be produced in bulk, page size and shape were increasingly determined by the size and shape of mould which was most practical for producers. As the size and shape of pages became more standardized, so did the size and shape of margins. In general, the margins in books have grown smaller over time. The wide margins common during the Renaissance have given way to much narrower proportions. However, there is still much variation depending on the size and purpose of the book.

The Digital Page
Computers and the Internet have revolutionized our consumption of the written word. Books can now exist without physical pages, and text can be viewed on a myriad of devices. In the early days of the Internet, the concept of margins was completely foreign to web browsers. However, as computer screens got bigger this became an issue for the readability and aesthetics of text. The invention of more sophisticated programming languages such as CSS allowed designers to control the margins of their web pages, and leave more white space. Although margin-less web pages do still exist, today it is widely understood that having wide enough margins to provide adequate white space around text is very important to the usability and readability of digital text. In fact, margins become even more important because web content shares visual space with other elements such as the web browser's interface, as well as other icons and windows.