Success Criteria for Readable Text
Consider the presentation of the text to your audience and make choices that ensure text is easy for all individuals to read and comprehend. Here are a few recommendations:
- Use recommended fonts.
- Use minimum sizes and larger.
- Limit usage of font styles (bold, italics, all capitals).
- Do not present text within graphics or on a background that does not provide adequate contrast.
- Do not try to convey meaning only by the appearance of text.
- Do not use blinking or moving text.
Techniques for Readable Text
- Providing textual identification of items that otherwise rely only on sensory information to be understood
- Understanding Text Spacing
- Using a technology that has commonly-available user agents that support zoom
Font Family
Use standard sans-serif fonts (such as Arial, Verdana) rather than serif fonts (Times New Roman, Garamond). Use decorative fonts or narrow fonts for decorative purposes only.
Font Style
Italicized text can be difficult to read on web pages and often bold and italics are used together to enhance readability. Bold is sometimes used to improve readability of words in different colors. All capital letters can be harder to decipher. See also: Using Color.
Font Size
When text is too small, individuals with low-vision have difficulties reading it. The recommended minimum font size for web pages is 12 points. For slides projected to an audience, the minimum is 24 points.