Easy Tips to Improve Your Typography Legibility.

Avoid Centering Text with More Than Four Lines

In Western cultures, we're accustomed to reading from left to right. Aligning text to the left and keeping the right side ragged enhances legibility. Centered text is harder to follow because our eyes struggle to find the start of the next line.

Tip: Align your text to the left for better readability, especially for longer passages.

Limit Line Length to 7-9 Words

Having too many words on a single line can strain the eyes, making it difficult to read long paragraphs. This is particularly important for body text, where readability is crucial.

Tip: Keep your line length to around 7-9 words to maintain comfortable readability.

Increase Leading for Digital Screens

Reading on screens can be more challenging than on paper due to glare and pixelation. Increasing the leading, or the vertical space between lines of text, helps to make the text more readable. A good rule of thumb is to add about +5 to the font size.

Tip: If your font size is 16px, try setting the leading (line-height) to 21px for better readability

Choose Readable Fonts

While this wasn't in the original tips, it’s crucial to choose fonts that are easy to read. Avoid overly decorative fonts for body text and stick to clean, simple typefaces.

Tip: Use sans-serif fonts for digital content and serif fonts for printed materials, ensuring they are legible at various sizes.

Use Adequate Contrast

Ensure there's a strong contrast between your text color and background. Low contrast can make text difficult to read, causing eye strain.

Tip: Use dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background to improve legibility.

Test Your Designs

Always test your typography choices on different devices and screen sizes. What looks good on a desktop may not be as readable on a mobile device.

Tip: Check your designs on various devices to ensure consistent legibility.