It refers to how easily text can be read. Line spacing (or leading), line length (the number of words per line), and font choice can affect the readability of text. Here are some tips to ensure the readability of your text:

• While the default leading is fine in most cases, you might want to play around with leading to see the different results. For regular copy, try the 2x’s rule: increase the leading to at least 2 points larger than the point size of your type.

• For line length, take the type size of your body text and multiply it by two. For example, 12 point type would have an ideal line length of  24 picas.

• Avoid low contrast or uncomplementary colors when placing text on a color background.

• Never use a “headline” font for copy blocks. Can you imagine if we wrote this sentence with the same font as the word “readability”?

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “R” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

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