Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated
by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler
Legibility
The visual clarity of text, generally based on the size, typeface, contrast, text block, and spacing of the characters used.
Confusion regarding the research on legibility is as persistent as it is pervasive. The rapid growth and advancement of modern desktop publishing, Web-based publishing, and multimedia presentation continue to compound the confusion with increasing font and layout capabilities, display and print options, and the need to effectively integrate with other media. The following guidelines address common issues regarding text legibility.1
Size
For printed text, standard 9- to 12-point type is considered optimal. Smaller sizes are acceptable when limited to captions and notes. Use larger type for low-resolution displays ...
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