The influence of Chinese typography on information dissemination in graphic design: based on eye-tracking data

The arrangement of Chinese characters has a significant impact on the visual effect and information dissemination in graphic design. In traditional Chinese layout, vertical arrangement of characters is predominant, but in recent times, there has been a gradual transition towards horizontal arrangement. To compare the influence of different character arrangement forms on visual meaning generation and information dissemination, This study employed an eye-tracking experiment to investigate two common Chinese character layouts in posters—horizontal and vertical, and collected data such as eye-tracking heatmap, pupil diameter and eye-tracking trajectory map. Based on objective eye-tracking data, combined with post-test interviews and questionnaire surveys, it was found that vertical character arrangement in Chinese typography is more effective in attracting visual attention and facilitating the expression and stimulating interest in viewing/reading under the premise of meeting formal requirements, which may provide guidance and inspiration for the practical application of Chinese characters in layout design, advertising design, packaging design, exhibition design, UI design, and other related fields.