Keeping Document Design Simple

Good document design is a combination of common sense and simplicity. Look at examples of documents you find attractive and use those elements as a guide for your design. Here are some basic do's and don'ts.

• Long lines-of text are hard to read. Generally, use about 60 to 75 characters, or 10 to 14 words per line of text. You can use multiple columns, sideheads, or if you are stuck with a long line length, increase the leading (space between each line of text) slightly to make it easier for the eye to move from line to line.

• White space on the page makes your document cleaner and easier to read. Don't clutter your content and graphics together.

• Use indents and bullets to highlight important points and use numbered list to signify order.

• Use headings and subheadings to help your audience find the information they're interested in.

• Avoid using more than two type families on a page. Generally use serif (Times) for body text and sans serif (Helvetica) for headlines.

• Use italics and boldface to highlight words and phrases, rather than using all UPPERCASE. All uppercase is hard to read.

• Left justification is easier to read and looks less formal than full justification. Select a justification that matches the tone of your document.

• Graphs, pictures, and charts add interest to your documents and clarify your text. Use horizontal and vertical lines sparingly to break up large blocks of text.