Pagemaking

[Ian_Lee]

Besides traditional script vs simplified script difference, does anybody notice that the format Chinese is written varies in different regions?

For writing horizontally, now people in all areas agree to write from left to right.

But that is it.

If writing vertically, then the second column starts on the right in Mainland while it starts on the left in Taiwan and HK.

In term of publication, it also differs. For books, magazines and newspapers, readers in Mainland flip on the right side while readers flip on the left side in Taiwan and HK.

I checked publication in other languages. Japanese publication follows the standard adopted by Taiwan and HK while English publication is the same as Mainland China’s.

[smithsgj]

For writing horizontally, now people in all areas agree to write from left to right.

Taiwan uses right to left also.

But in your statements about writing direction you're not comparing like with like. Writing in columns from bottom to top, and writing in rows starting at the bottom of the page, are options which are not taken up at all.

[nnt]

There is a "traditional presentation" (top-down at column level,right to left at line level, page level and publication level), and a westernized presentation.

Even nowadays, you can see horizontal Chinese shop signs with left to right traditional characters.

See this link for more details:

http://www.mmtaylor.net/Literacy_Book/DOCS/07.html

It is interesting to notice that the manga phenomenon in the West has somewhat reversed the tide, for many European versions of these mangas keep the traditional presentation at page level and book level (At least, the texts in speech bubbles keep western presentation...). Just for economic reasons: it's more expensive to completely adapt the presentation...

[Ian_Lee]

For the sake of calligraphy class, I fully support the Mainland system.

When I was in grade 3, my calligraphy classwork was always a mess.

Why? The way of writing.

When we finished the first vertical column, the second new column was on the left. Naturally as kids an novice, our wrist touched the right column which ink splashed onto my hand and the other parts of paper.

[ala]

If writing vertically, then the second column starts on the right in Mainland while it starts on the left in Taiwan and HK.

That's incorrect. When writing vertically, we (Mainlanders) also go from right to left. I've never seen a published article with top-down left to right. In fact, I have a People's Daily staring right at me, and there's one article that is printed vertically and it starts from right to left.

When we do calligraphy we also do top-down right to left. Hey, it keeps you on guard; your oily hands aren't supposed to touch much of the paper anyway. And it gives you better posture for the brush.

In the Mainland, writing with pencil/pen isleft-right horizontal, so are all textbooks and published material (except newspapers which did both styles to save space and separate articles). Calligraphy and other traditional arts maintained the traditional custom (albeit with simplified characters haha).

[Ian_Lee]

your oily hands aren't supposed to touch much of the paper anyway. And it gives you better posture for the brush.

Theoretically you are correct. But practically it is well nigh impossible for a 3rd Grade kid to do it.

[Ian_Lee]

Finally it is standardized on this aspect:

http://www.scmp.com/

No more writing from the right as Taiwan lines up left

Centuries of tradition will come to an end under a Taiwanese law that bans the writing of official Chinese documents from right to left.