Font Style and Size

There is not a best typeface or font. Experts disagree on which typefaces provide the best readability.

1. Use simple, familiar, and easily-parsed fonts.
2. Avoid character complexity
3. Avoid character ambiguity
4. Use a limited number of typefaces, fonts, and font variations.
5. Consider spacing and weight.
6. Ensure sufficient, but not too much, contrast between the text and the background.
7. Avoid small font sizes and other anti-patterns.

Complexity & Ambiguity

Simpler shapes and patterns of typographical text are more quickly and accurately analyzed by the human mind. Be careful with complex fonts, especially for long sections of text.

When glyphs or characters within a typeface appear similar to another, this can introduce ambiguity which must be processed by the brain, thus impacting reading speed and understanding.

The texts above illustrate common ambiguities. The capital letters “C” and “O” and lowercase letters “e” and “o” in the Arial typeface look very similar due to the very narrow opening in the letters. This is contrasted with the wider opening and more distinct differences between “C” and “O” and “e” and “o” in the Open Sans typeface.

Similarly, capital “I”, lowercase “l”, and numeral “1” appear almost identical in some fonts, but are much more easily distinguished from each other in Verdana. Even though Verdana is a bit more complex, this minor complexity helps with disambiguation of characters.

Fonts: Size & Styles

• Avoid font sizes smaller than 10 pt.
• Use bold instead of italics or underlining text.

All images source: WebAim Typefaces and Fonts