Table of Contents
Start of Chapter : Optimize your Alphabetics
Previous: Print or Read on Screen
Optimize printed text
Most of the time, you won't have control over how printed text appears, for example, in books, magazines, reports, etc. While reading printed text, make sure you have good light. Position the material squarely facing you at a comfortable distance (around 16 inches or 40cm).
If you do have control over the material you are printing out, you might want to consider these guidelines. The same applies if you are designing material for others to print and use.
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Typeface or font: While there is still debate on this topic, the prevailing guidance suggests "serif" fonts (Times New Roman, Times, Georgia etc) are better for printed readability. The name of this font is Georgia.
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Type size: 10-12 point, depending on the font. This font is 10.5pt and expanded by 0.4 pt. Fonts larger than 12 points have little impact and may negatively affect readability.
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Line spacing: Studies show that more line spacing increases readability. The line spacing for this text is 14pt, with 1.5pt before and after each paragraph.
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Line width: The ideal line width is around 12 words a line. Sometimes, two columns may be better.
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Margins: If your printouts will be lying flat (i.e. not hard bound), then large margins don't affect readability. Margins are useful for bound books. The binding often curves the paper and text near the inside border. This reduces readability.
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Draft versus normal printing modes: While draft mode might save time and ink, lighter text reduces readability.
Next: Optimize Your Computer Monitor
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