Print Tips: Choosing a Readable Type
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More Print Tips
- • 6 Ways to Settle the Score
- • Win Customers With Colorful Packaging
- • 5 Rules for Readability with Type
- • Paper Shifts Color: Orange is the New Red
- • Printing Considerations for Envelopes
- • Be 'Bossy! Stand Above the Rest
- • Nourish Your Creativity
- • Picking the Perfect Paper
- • Signatures Could Save You Money
- • When Color Matters
- • Choosing a Readable Type
- • Perfect Your Proofing
- • Using "Enriched" Black Ink
- • Stationery Paper Basics
- • Typographical Terms
- • Paper Potential
- • Self-Mailers
Tips for Choosing a Readable Type
You've worked hard to create just the right look for your client's newsletter. But will your masterpiece also be easy to read? Balancing beauty with readability can be challenging. Here are some areas to keep in mind as you choose a typeface and layout the text on your next project:
X-height. X-height refers to the size of a lowercase x in a given typeface. The larger the x-height, the denser the type will appear on the page, and the less readable it will tend to be.
Tracking. Tracking refers to character spacing. Any variation from normal tracking (narrowed or expanded text) can have an adverse effect on readability.
Serif vs. sans serif. Research shows that serif fonts are more readable than sans serif fonts for large areas of body text. This may be due to the serifs' ability to lead the eye from one character to the next. On the other hand, typefaces with serifs that are too pronounced can have the opposite effect. Also, sans serif fonts tend to be more readable than their serif counterparts in smaller point sizes, such as those used for footnotes or fine print.
Line length. Shorter lines of text tend to be more readable than longer lines. However, lines that are too short may also prove difficult to read. Experts suggest setting line length at approximately 39 characters, or two times your point size, converted into picas (e.g. 2 x 10pt =20 picas or 3 1/3 inches). Experiment with both of these options to see which works better for you.
Leading. The leading, or space between each line of text, can also affect readability. In general, leading that is 2-3 points larger than the typeface enhances readability. Leading that is too much larger or smaller than that, however, can make the type more difficult to read.
Widows and orphans. Widows occur when the final line of a paragraph contains just a single word. Orphans are paragraphs that carry over just a single line from one column to the next. Both are visually distracting, unattractive, and reduce the readability of a page.
Point size. Body text is generally set at 9-12 points in size. This can vary, however, depending on the typeface and purpose involved, so make adjustments accordingly.
by Ann Goodheart
Alleviating Prepress Anxiety is an invaluable, "reader friendly" instruction manual for the novice small press "desktop" publisher. Ann Goodheart draws upon her more than twenty-years of "hands on" publishing experience in showing how the aspiring publisher can save money, time, and stress by defining concepts for printed projects; choosing design and print vendors wisely; developing cost-effective production terms; understanding the basics of type and design; selecting papers and colors; and writing concise printing specifications. Enhanced with case studies and an extensive glossary, Alleviating Prepress Anxiety is a "must" for anyone venturing into desktop publishing for the first time, and has a wealth of practical, useful information for even the more seasoned publisher.