5 general rules of text editing

Keep the number of different fonts to a minimum.

When you start using a lot of different fonts in one document, the “message” gets lost. That does not mean, however, that you have to stick to the tried and true two fonts rule (one for headings and one for text). Simply make sure there are good reasons why you are using the fonts you've chosen.

Serif type is easier to read than san serif type.

The theory goes that serif type is easier to read because the serifs draw your eye from character to character. Therefore, sans serif type is best for headings and short amounts of text.

Virtually any font can be made readable with the correct design. If you choose sans serif for body text, remember that most sans serif types need more leading than serif type. Sans serif can give your documents a very modern look, and is often used as body text in Europe.

Do not put two spaces after a period.

In the days of typewriters and monospaced fonts, two spaces after a period were used to indicate the end of a sentence. Today we can access fonts that have characters of different widths, and there is no longer any need to place two spaces after a period.

The problem with placing two spaces after a period is that this extra space creates a stop, rather than signifying the end of a sentence. An additional space is now obsolete at the end of a sentence.

Do not use all capital letters.

People read by the shapes of words, not letter by letter. Ascenders and descenders are what makes it easy to quickly identify the shape of a word.

When you use all capitals, you have no ascenders or descenders. The shape of almost every word becomes a rectangle, and it is more difficult to read.

That does not mean, however, you cannot ever use all capitals. Short phrases or headings can work well in all caps. Sans serif tends to work better in all caps than serif type; the serifs can actually detract from the readability of the text when set in all caps.

Do not center large amounts of text.

When you read, you rapidly scan one line, then your eye has to go from the right side of the page back to the left side of the page. When text is centered, it can be more difficult to find where the text begins again on the left side of the page.

It is a good rule of thumb to stay away from too much centered text, and save it for headings that do not run more than several lines deep.