Table of contents
A table of contents (short IHV ) is a keyword -like directory. There is an overview of the content of the disc.
Need a table of contents
Most will be decided at the preliminary work for a book, if it receives a table of contents or not. One selection criterion often arises already from the genre of books. So you will refrain as in a short novel on a table of contents, but add it in a book of poetry in general, to provide a quick access to the individual poems.
Scientific publications always have an outline. The structure provided with page numbers is the table of contents; sometimes subordinate levels for the purpose of reduction of the IHV omitted and eg only the top three levels listed in the IHV. In addition, most scientific publications have additional directories, such as bibliography, table of figures or abbreviations. The directories are used for orientation within the work and its thematic classification.
Instead of the table of contents
' Tables of contents are available at the front or back of the book. You should stand where the reader is looking; definitely the very front, just behind the main title, or in the back, not behind the foreword or at the end of the book in front of a series of ads. " Like the title page is also the table of contents on a recto page, often on page 5 In a reference book is the table of contents mostly in the register, document attachment, time table or other tables at the end of the book. A standing at the end of contents, however, brings about benefits for the manufacturer: If a manuscript or parts of it added to the pressure before the table of contents is created, the printer must return the item at the front bow for a standing directory. The title sheet, it can finish only when he has the table of contents. If the directory at the end of the book, the printer is spared this additional workload. Another advantage of the rear stationary table of contents is that it " together with registers, image directory and the other summaries provides the last opportunity by compressing or another shooting through the sentence, by changing the font size and another to bring the book to the desired extent. " The reason for this may be in addition to poor preparation and accurate calculation extent also a late change request.
Set the Table of Contents
If a table of contents be usable, it must have special clarity. Also the type area there are difficulties: Will he be left in the size of the rest of the book, there are often large gaps between chapter title and page numbers, which are often filled with dots.
If the size of the type area now changed, care should be taken that set width and text are proportionate to each other. "The task of typographers now is to insert this narrow column harmoniously in the book. " There are many possibilities: The directory can be on an edge of the type area, but also - if it is particularly long - are set in two columns. The book designer decides whether "Table of Contents ", " Contents ", only " content ", " page ", " page number " or similar stands above the columns. The page number is usually listed after the keyword, and in rare cases even earlier.
In scientific books, the table of contents is often subdivided to represent the subjects listed manageable. This can be achieved through various display typefaces, semi-bold or italic, with supplementary lines, with distances and indented lines. To keep the contents clearly, this is usually limited to a maximum of three levels. If desired, additional layers can insert a more detailed list at the beginning of each chapter.
Some books do not require a table of contents. These are reference books among others. In these books the register or the running title takes on this task.