Readability tips

Font size

Our standard fonts Arial and Palatino are easy to read. You can adjust font size to help readability too.

Guidelines:

• General readers: Arial, between 10-12 points.
• Younger and older audiences: Increase the size of the font. Some older readers and those who are visually impaired may find a font size between 14-18 points easier to read.
• Heading and titles: Use larger font sizes.

Create structure

• Let your readers know what they can expect to learn right away by grouping information with informative headings.
• Lead with the most important information in the first sentence.
• Make main points first and either link to more information for web-based writing or add explanatory details to supplement main points later.

Break up text/add space

Bite-sized information is easier to scan and comprehend.

Use:

• Informative/descriptive headings and subheadings. (As well as creating structure, informative headings break up text and make it easer to read).
• Bold headings and/or important words.
• Bullets or numbered lists.
• Spaces between paragraphs and sections.

Other layout recommendations

• Use sentence case versus title case for headings for all text. Example:
  
  • This is an example of sentence case.
  • This is an Example of Title Case.
• Text set in all uppercase letters takes longer to read and is considered as shouting.
• Avoid underlining -- it hinders reading flow and indicates a hyperlink to many readers.
• Avoid splitting numeric phrases (e.g. 10 per cent) and titles, names and program names (e.g. Dr. Alessia Prins, program medical director, Cardiology) onto separate lines.
• Use clarifying visuals to help communicate complex ideas.

Download our writing style guide.