Text Formatting for the Web
If you remember only one thing about creating a web site, it should be this: Content is King. In other words, text that is written and formatted well is your most valuable asset. The average web user has a very short attention span, so it would behoove you to make your pages as inviting, legible, and attractive as possible. This legibility starts with text that is pleasing to the eye and virtually effortless to read. Assuming that you already know the basics of web design and writing, consider the following:
Just because you built a beautiful web site that perfectly fits your 1280 x 1024 monitor doesn’t mean that everyone else will see it that way. Not all monitors and screen resolutions are the same, so to insure that your visitors can see 100% of your text, you can do one of two things: Either use the smallest common fixed width (Nowadays, a 750 pixel width is probably the most common, but a 600 pixel width is safer), or better yet, use 75-90% width in your HTML and/or CSS code. This leaves room along the sides. The worst thing you can do is make your visitor scroll sideways!
Justify only the left side for a clean, professional look. Some people swear by the practice of justifying the right side as well, but that spreads out the words (and sometimes individual letters) unnaturally, making your sentences much harder to read.
Only use one face for all of your text for consistency. If you feel that you absolutely must have two, use one for subtitles and one for regular text. Verdana (a more spacious version of Tahoma) and Georgia (a serif font) were created especially for on-screen viewing. (Serifs are those little “ticks” or “feet” at the ends of letters. Sans-serif fonts are generally easier for the human eye to read on a monitor. The more traditional serif fonts are better on paper.) Other monitor-friendly sans-serif fonts: Arial, Impact, Trebuchet and for a more jovial feel, Comic Sans. All have good italic and bold versions, too.
Don’t go overboard; use a slightly larger size for subtitles, and possibly a larger size for your page title. The most common text size is 12pt (point). You could then make your subtitles 14pt, and your main title 18pt, depending on the size of the font face. (i.e. Impact is much narrower and darker than Verdana.)
Black (or very dark) text on a white (or very light) background is best. A subtle background is fine, but some kooky combination like dark green text on pink background will send your visitors to the eye doctor. Keep your colors simple to avoid eyestrain.
Bold, italics, and underline are the most common formatting effects that will help make your text stand out. Most people consider them interchangeable, but be careful, for they should not be used on the same page if you can help it, and NEVER on the same word. It’s just overkill. One effect alone is enough to get your reader’s attention. Also, try not to type anything in all caps, unless you have no other choice (i.e. my “never” above). Just like in an email, if your message is written in all caps, it looks like you’re shouting at your reader. That’s a no-no.
Web masters who design for the general public should always remember that subtlety is typically the way to go. Do not blast visitors (potential clients or friends) with wild colors, kaleidoscopic backgrounds, a dozen different fonts, and a flashing message that smacks them in the face. That is, unless you want to attract people who like that kind of insane web experience.
Note: HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a fantastic tool to know, but beware of tags that have become deprecated (no longer accepted by some browsers). A safer bet is to use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) or CSS2, which gives you more control over the look of your pages. All of these codes and more can be learned at the extremely user-friendly W3 Schools.
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