Everyone in my family is an engineer, so the realms of writing and design were very new to me. SCAD helped demystify the unknowns of graphic design, but it also gave me more questions. Large words like “readability” came across my course reading, and it took several tries and critiques to actually understand what these terms meant. Knowing the other side, I’m hoping I can clear up myths from facts and offer some practical tips.
Readability and its partner in crime, legibility, relate to typography. Legibility refers to the font itself and the shape of the letters while readability refers to the typesetting. Every designer needs to understand how to format type because its crucial for posters, billboards, magazines, flyers, and more. It’s the difference between a pretty picture and a designed message.
Special Note…
I wrote a post a while back about formatting typography and the definitions of general terms used to describe these edits. I suggest checking it out if you have questions regarding justification, tracking, kerning, leading, condensing, or stretching type.
For this post, I’m speaking generally about readability. I got lost in terminology while in college, and you could see the disconnect with my designs. Once I understood the concepts behind the words and implemented those methods, my designs improved and the concepts stuck. So, here’s 3 main considerations when it comes to typographic readability.
Consideration 1: Text on Backgrounds
There are TONS of options for fun backgrounds and interesting typefaces. But whenever you shift from black type on white, readability issues appear.
High contrast is your best friend. Black or dark gray on white works because there’s a distinct visual difference. For readable type, you need to create that contrast with other colors. Choose hues based on where they fall on the grayscale. Or, in plain English, play with dark and light colors. Complementary hues oppose each other and can work with tweaking. Selecting a darker hue and a lighter hue (e.g. navy and baby blue) is the simplest fix.
Gradients present a problem with this method though; depending on the colors you shift through, the type can disappear and reappear. Keep a specific range of shades or tints for the gradient and then use the opposing color range for the type. I’ve worked with type on gradients, and my best suggestion is to just not. But if you absolutely have to, test different colors and make the type thick and large.
Photography has a similar issue as a gradient. Depending on the filters and subject, photos can have a wide range of shades and tints that make it impossible to find one color that works for your type. In these scenarios, I create a solid color block over part of the image and set my type there. Even if said block has 50% opacity, it evens the color range so you can select a font color that pops on top. Best case scenario is taking a photo with a relatively even and narrow color range so all you have to do is enlarge and maybe pick a thick typeface.
Consideration 2: Negative Space
Blank spaces are probably a designer’s worst nightmare. These areas can feel empty and pointless, but when surrounding type, they’re vital. Think about a conversation with a friend; you guys are at a party talking about goals for the year. Where is it easier to focus on the message of the conversation: in the kitchen amongst a huge crowd of people or outside where it’s less claustrophobic?
Pretty sure I’m not alone in thinking this, but the answer would be outside where you have more space between you and the distractions of other people. Negative space, when used properly, makes reading chunks of information easier. Negative space can also divide pockets of information and create importance for specific statements.
Paragraphs require more negative space than single statements. Center-aligned type needs more breathing room since it’s not natural for readers. The flow of negative space really depends on your eye and what you’re prioritizing. The importance here is to not fill your design for the sake of having no space. Space is necessary and vital for good readability.
Consideration 3: Digital vs. Print
What works in print doesn’t always work for digital. Same vice versa. Consider the book on your shelf; it’s probably 10pt font rather than 12, yet it’s fairly easy to read. 10pt on a computer though is tiny. Whenever you’re designing for yourself or a client, consider the end medium.
Your primary concern is how it looks in the native space, be it a 500px square block on a website or a 24″ poster. As a visual person, I do my best work when I understood the actual size of my final project. For print media, grab a ruler and measure out your final product on sketch paper or with painter’s tape on your floor. For digital, look up websites and social media posts that are the sizing you want. Your thumbnails will be much smaller, but getting a basic idea of the space you have helps turn digital grunt work into purposeful design.
Colors and shapes are additional considerations. My yellow on purple header works well on digital, but would probably be illegible in print. There’s also the consideration of printing costs, extra colors requiring more ink. Think about what’s most important in the design and how those elements play with your typography. Quirky fonts can function on digital, but not always in print. It’s all about finding balance and understanding how your work relates to the final product.
Final Thoughts: Test, Test, Test
And test some more. It can be as simple as printing different font sizes on copy paper or putting your designs into a dummy site or mockup. Waiting until the last moment to set your designs into a site or onto printed media is a bad idea. Large prints cost money and digital media is immediately public to the world. Good impressions take revisions, so test away.
Be sure to step back from your ideas as well. Spending all your time focused on the same piece of media can drive you nutty and get you focused on details that don’t exist. Take a step back and relook at your type. Does it read well? Is there enough space? Ask others to look at your work and see if they find it easy to understand. Testing and taking breaks require time, but they’re very important steps in the process of readability.
