Fonts
We discuss typefaces (often known as "fonts", although technically a font is a particular variant of a typeface) from two perspectives:
- Readability. The Web is different to printed media; there are different rules to follow when ensuring readability. In general, sans-serif typefaces are more appropriate than serif faces on the Web.
- Appropriateness. It is important to select fonts which correspond to the message you're trying to convey, rather than clashing with it. Instead of choosing a typeface because you like it, you should choose a typeface because it's appropriate for the content of your page.
Text layout
When laying out blocks of text, there are two important decisions to be made:
- Line length. This affects readability. In general, text lines should be about eight to twelve words long. You can ensure this by using appropriate margins.
- Line spacing, or the distance between the bottom of characters on one line and the next. Increasing line spacing can make text easier to read.
