Simplification

centre

Technical paper 9

Choosing a typeface
for reading
Rob Waller April 2011

Acknowledgements
Thanks to various
colleagues for their
helpful comments on
earlier drafts of this
document: Martin Evans,
Karen Stanbridge, Paul
Stiff, Myra Thiessen,
Michael Twyman, Sue
Walker.

We quite often find ourselves answering a question

about information design that weve been asked
before. Sometimes these questions are prompted
by the need for organisations to comply with the
Equality Act.
Is sans serif type more legible than seriffed? Does the
incidence of colour blindness mean we shouldnt use
colour? Weve heard that white space is a good thing,
but why? Or, alternatively: our designer has left all
this white space, but customers complain it is a waste
of money.
So we are putting together some simple guides that
summarise the advice we usually give. This one is
about typefaces (fonts).

www.simplificationcentre.org.uk

Some common seriffed

typefaces are:

There are many typography textbooks and websites where typefaces

are discussed in detail this guide does not attempt to replace
them, but is intended as an introduction for organisations who
need to establish a standard or set a policy for typeface choice, and
who would like that standard to be based on sound reasoning or
evidence.

Calisto
Garamond
Georgia
Palatino
Times
Some common sans serif
typefaces are:

In this guide we discuss the choice of typeface for text that is

designed for continuous reading. This is quite a different situation
from, say, signage or packaging, where words are usually read
in short glances and where the main goal is typically to attract
attention, or differentiate from competitors. For continuous reading,
the typeface must be comfortable to read for longer periods of time.

Calibri
Frutiger
Gill Sans
Helvetica
Verdana
Seriffed type is sometimes
called roman type
(although that term is also
used to mean type that
is upright not italic), and
you may hear sans serif
typefaces simply called
sans.

The purpose of this guide

Serif vs sans serif type

Although there are many factors that distinguish typefaces from
each other, the most obvious one is serifs the small strokes on the
ends of letters in some typefaces. Typefaces without serifs are known
as sans serif typefaces. The first question people usually ask us is
about serifs: do they matter? do they make it easier or harder to
read?

Research shows little difference in legibility

Seriffed
Sans serif

Unfortunately, research does not give us a clear answer to these

questions. In fact it suggests that serifs do not actually matter for
most common purposes in particular, for reading continuous text
such as you are reading now. Research can be found to support both
sides of the debate, but any differences in performance are generally
small enough to be overriden by other factors such as the size of
type, the overall design of the document, and lighting conditions.
The most thorough review of the research literature on the legibility
of seriffed and sans serif type is by Ole Lund1. His 1999 PhD thesis
concluded that the research is not only inconclusive, but it is mostly
of too poor a quality to be relied upon.

What about people who have difficulty with reading?

Most advice about designing for people with dyslexia currently
recommends the use of sans serif type, although this is mostly based
1 Ole Lund, Knowledge construction in typography: the case of legibility research and the legibility of sans
serif typefaces. PhD thesis, University of Reading 1999.

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Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

on studies of personal preferences rather than performance. As a

result it is hard to say to what extent people with dyslexia might
be disadvantaged by typefaces they do not prefer, particularly as
it is often noted that preferences vary widely between individuals
a few even prefer capital letters, and some prefer handwritingstyle typefaces. For some it is more important to view the type on a
coloured background (which varies among individuals some prefer
yellow, while others prefer blue or pink). The most important thing
is to choose a typeface where the different letters are easy to tell
apart. (See our section on confusing letters, below.)

Typeface or font?
Although these two
terms used to mean
different things, they
are so often confused
that they are now
effectively the same.
While typeface
described a design that
was available in different
sizes and styles, font
referred to a single
size and style (that you
might find in a single
tray of metal type).
So while Helvetica is a
typeface, 10pt Helvetica
Bold is a font.

Partially sighted people want good contrast between letter shape

and background, and sans serifs often have a thicker stroke width,
with less variation between thick and thin strokes. But some seriffed
typefaces are also designed in this way. People in this group prefer
larger type sizes, and we review this topic in another guide in this
series (Technical paper 10, The Clear Print standard: arguments for a
flexible approach)

FSMe Bold

The charity Mencap promotes a special typeface for people with a

learning disability. They commissioned it as their corporate typeface,
consulting this group of users as part of the design process, and they
now promote it for others to use. Starting with a variety of seriffed,
sans serif and handwriting typefaces, the designers arrived at a sans
serif. They have published an interesting account of a very thorough
design process2, but no data that proves that this typeface, FS Me,
is the only one that people with a learning disability might find
acceptable.

Above: FS Me, designed

by Fontsmith on behalf of
Mencap, 2008, and claimed
by them as particularly
suitable for people with
learning disabilities.
Below: FS Albert from the
same designer.

We are not aware of published research on the typeface preferences

of people with poor functional literacy, but anecdotal evidence from
our own research panel suggests that, while they can read the same
range of sizes as anyone else, they welcome larger type. They seem
to find it less intimidating, perhaps because there is room for less
content on each page.

Other key issues for typeface choice

There are more important things than serifs to consider when
choosing a typeface, and we will consider three of them here.
The first concerns the ease with which readers can tell different
letters apart. The second is the preferences of readers, and the
2 FS Me: the story, unpublished report obtained from Mencap (mencap.org.uk), March 2010.
Mencap do not overclaim for the typefaces powers if you take their statements simply as
enthusiastic marketing, but we have been consulted about whether this typeface is necessary
to comply with the Equality Act. We do not believe so.

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Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

associations that particular typefaces bring to your document.

Lastly, we will look how the right choice of typefaces, or sets of
typefaces, allows you to help readers by signalling the structure of
information.

Confusing letters
Some dyslexia advisers recommend particular sans serif typefaces
especially those that reduce the possible confusion between the
lower case l and the capital I (which are graphically distinct
in seriffed typefaces). This is good advice for other readers too
particularly in situations where unfamiliar words may have to
be read for the first time (for example in health information, or
medicine labelling).
Here is one such hybrid typeface, Officina, compared with a more
typical sans serif, Helvetica:

Illness
Officina

Illness
Helvetica

Its important to note that not all sans serif typefaces are the same
they differ significantly in their treatment of certain letter shapes
(notably, the lower case g/g and sometimes the a/a), and in the
proportions of letters. For example, the designer of Helvetica took
a systematic approach and aimed to standardise the width of most
letters, and the treatment of features such as the bowl of the p or
d. In contrast, Gill Sans uses the relatively inconsistent proportions
and shapes that you can find in a typical seriffed typeface. This is
thought by some to reduce the potential confusion between letters.

meanderings

16pt (point) Gill Sans

meanderings meanderings
16pt Helvetica

16pt Frutiger

Frutiger, the third typeface in this illustration, uses a different way

of reducing the confusion between letters such as a, c and g they
are more open than in Helvetica (acg) so less likely to be confused.

How typeface relates to type size

Notice also from this sample that these three typefaces appear to
be different sizes, although each is set at 16pt (type has its own
measuring system points, usually abbreviated to pt that does not
relate to millimetres or inches). This is because the point size of type
refers to the distance from the top of its ascenders (the highest part
of letters such as h or d) to the lowest part of its descenders (the
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Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

lowest parts of letters such as p). As a result the main part of the
letter in the middle (known as the x-height) can vary because the
designer has chosen different proportions.
So you would have to make quite considerable size adjustments to
make these three typefaces appear to have the same x-height.

meanderings

18pt
18pt Gill Sans

meanderings

15.25pt
15pt.25 Helvetica

meanderings
16pt
16pt Frutiger

Attempts have been made to reform the way we describe the

size of type, but it seems we are stuck with points, and varying
x-heights. This means you need to be wary of guidelines that focus
on point size without reference to a particular typeface. Check what
x-height (in millimetres) they are recommending, and translate
that into points in the typeface you have chosen. This is not easy
to do visually the best way is to set a line of text in any computer
application that allows you to enlarge the type on screen, and
measure against a ruler or scale.

What readers prefer

Because most text typefaces are about as legible as each other,
designers can be free to choose a typeface for other reasons. Your
choice could be dictated by the kind of text, and it is not a bad idea
to start by looking at other documents that are similar in purpose
to yours they may represent what your readers will be expecting.
For example, novels and newspapers are almost always printed in
seriffed typefaces, and people may find it strange if they are not.
On the other hand, forms are more often in sans serif because
sans typeface families tend to include more variations in weight
(boldness), and look neater as single words or short phrases.

THE TIMES

The times

Her Majesty

Her Majesty

Simplification Centre

You can also choose a typeface to have a particular atmosphere or

emotional appeal, or to be associated with a historical period for
example, for many people a seriffed typeface looks more traditional
and has more social status. And many organisations choose a
typeface for their brand, to make sure all their documents work as a
set their choice often reflects the personality they want their brand
to express.

Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

Signalling the structure of documents

Complex structured text, such as user guides or reports, may use
a mixture of seriffed type for the main content and sans serif for
the headings (it is almost never done the other way around). This
gives the designer more tools to use in order to distinguish between
different voices in the text.
Left: this design uses both
seriffed and sans serif type,
so the designer can use sans
serif to signal the highlighted
information.
Right: In the sans-only
version, the designer has to
use another way to highlight
it in this case a tinted panel.

Who can apply?

Who can apply?

Youre eligible to buy a 16-25 Railcard

if youre between 16 and 25 years old.
However, mature students who are over 26
and in full-time education can also apply.

Youre eligible to buy a 16-25 Railcard if

youre between 16 and 25 years old. However,
mature students who are over 26 and in fulltime education can also apply.

If youre over 26 and in full-time education

You will need proof that youre studying
full-time at a recognised school or college,
attending for over 15 hours a week, at least
20 weeks a year.

If youre over 26 and in full-time education

You will need proof that youre studying
full-time at a recognised school or college,
attending for over 15 hours a week, at least 20
weeks a year.

If youre between 16 and 25

Youll need valid UK driving licence or
passport to prove your age, and a passportstyle photo.

If youre between 16 and 25

Youll need valid UK driving licence or
passport to prove your age, and a passportstyle photo.

Youll need to show an ISIC card (International

Student Identity Card), NUS card featuring the
ISIC logo or complete and certify the Mature
students only section of the application
form. This form needs to be certified by the
establishment where you are studying.

Youll need to show an ISIC card

(International Student Identity Card), NUS
card featuring the ISIC logo or complete
and certify the Mature students only
section of the application form. This form
needs to be certified by the establishment
where you are studying.

The question is almost never which typeface shall we use, but

rather what set of typefaces, weights, sizes and colours shall we
use, and for what purpose. Unfortunately typefaces are not sold like
Lego, with all the parts you need to make the thing. In typography
you have to assemble the parts for yourself, and work out what will
fit with what.

How to find and choose a typeface

The major typeface suppliers have good websites, where you can get
advice and compare possibilities, but there are dangers in choosing
from short samples on websites.
If you see a document that works well, and you like the typefaces,
you can learn a lot by trying to identify it. You can search on one the
online font suppliers websites (see below) and www.myfonts.com
has a WhatTheFont feature that tries to identify a typeface from a

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Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

scan you upload. It work reasonably well if you can give it a

large enough sample to work from.
If you are a sizeable organisation used to employing specialist
help, we recommend you work with an experienced
typographer or graphic designer. They can guide you about
the implications of each choice, and, most importantly, can
demonstrate the typeface in use in real documents. Get
them to explore different combinations of weights and sizes,
in complex things such as forms and tables, as well as in
brochures and posters. In other words, give your typeface
choice a thorough road test before deciding.

Buying fonts
Some good distributor websites are:
www.myfonts.com
http://www.type.co.uk
http://www.fontshop.com
These websites stock fonts from all the major suppliers.
The last two are part of the same group you will find good
educational guidance at http://www.fontshop.com/education/.

Further reading
A good introduction to typefaces and how to use them:
Phil Baines & Andrew Haslam, Type & typography, second
edition, London: Laurence King, 2005.

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Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

Choosing a typeface: a checklist

Is there a good range
of styles and weights?

8 Too few?

4 Enough to choose from

For most purposes a basic type family like this

is fine, but for a corporate standard designed
for many different kinds of document, it
could be too restrictive. This sample shows
News Gothic

Because digital typeface design software

makes it easier to do, most recent typeface
designs have a large number of variations
available. They allow you choose the best
variant for a particular task, but be careful
not to use too many variants in the same
document. This sample shows Myriad Pro.

abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm

Is there enough
contrast between the
weights?

8 Too little

4 About right

Here the heading (Myriad Bold) does not

stand out enough from the normal text
(Myriad Regular). This is not because Myriad
is a poor typeface it is a matter of selecting
the right combination from the many
available weights.

Where a type family contains as many

weights as Myriad, it is a good rule to
combine weights that are at least two
gradations apart, as in these two samples:

Semi-bold heading
Regular text the quick brown
fox jumps over the lazy dog. The
quick brown fox jumps over the
lazy dog.

Will it date quickly?

Black heading
Regular text the quick brown
fox jumps over the lazy dog. The
quick brown fox jumps over the
lazy dog.
Semibold heading
Light text the quick brown fox
jumps over the lazy dog. The
quick brown fox jumps over the
lazy dog.

8 Distinctive but dated

4 Classic neutral designs

Some typefaces are perfectly legible but look

as if they are from another era. Although
cool when introduced, they look dated after
a while:

Designs such as these are fairly neutral, or

have stood the test of time, so will not date
too much.

This is a sample of Eras (1976)

This is Bookman (1975)

Simplification Centre

abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm
abcdefghijklm

Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

Helvetica
Frutiger
Franklin Gothic

Is it still legible in
small sizes?

8 Narrow and cramped

4 Wide

Although x-height determines the appearing

size of type, this does not means a typeface
with a small x-height is less suitable for
smaller sizes you can simply make it larger
to compensate. More important is the width
of a typeface condensed typefaces can be
hard to read in small sizes:

This regular version of Helvetica is more

legible.

6pt Helvetica Condensed: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps
over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

6pt Helvetica: The quick brown fox jumps over lazy dog.
The quick brown fox jumps over the the lazy dog. The
quick brown fox jumps over lazy dog. The quick brown
fox jumps over the.

Although inelegant, the typewriter face

Courier has been shown to be very legible
in small sizes, probably because is it is wide,
and the chunky serifs make the letters
distinct from one another:
5pt Courier: The quick brown fox jumps over
5pt lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the
lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy
dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Can you afford to

risk any confusing
characters?

8 Too risky

4 OK

For most purposes it will rarely matter if the

lower case L, the numeral 1 and the capital I
look the same. But you should be concerned
if data has to be read accurately on labels or
from tables, or if you know there are many
people with dyslexia among your readers.

As a minimum requirement, it is important

to make sure the numeral 1 is distinct from

This typeface (Gill Sans) is particularly poor

where numbers and letters are combined,
although it is very legible for continuous
reading.

This typeface (Officina) goes further, note

the different serifs at the foot of the 1 and l.

Dilute 11ml in 1l of water

the lower case l. This is Frutiger:

Dilute 11ml in 1l of water.

Only use compound 6a

Dilute 11ml in 1l of water.

Only use compound 6a

A round a is often thought to be easier for

children because it is how they are taught to
write. But it is easily confused with o (this is
Century Gothic):

Only use compound 6a

Do you need any
special characters or
symbols

? Basic characters only

4 Widest possible range

For most everyday documents in English, you

will not mind being restricted to the roman
alphabet, the basic set of characters, and the
most common accents.

But if you sometimes need other alphabets

(for example, Greek, or Cyrillic), or a wider
range of accents, you will need to check
your typeface has them.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCD1234

The fonts supplied with PCs come with a

very wide range of characters

Arial:

Georgia:

Times New Roman:

But some other typeface families are also

fully supplied with accents and non-roman
characters:

Myriad Pro:

Simplification Centre

Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

Think about costs

You need to buy a license

When you buy a typeface that is outside

the range of standard typefaces supplied
with computers, you get a license to use
it on a limited number of computers.
To use it across an organisation, you
need a special site license. This is not
necessarily prohibitively expensive, but
for very large organisations it can be
better value to commission a typeface
designer to create or adapt a typeface
specially for you.

FREE

Or use free fonts

Computer operating systems (for

example, Windows, or Mac OS X)
come with a range of standard fonts.
If you choose from this range you will
not have to pay for a font license.
It also means you can distribute
documents in Word, and they
should look the same on everyones
computer.
These fonts include:
Arial
Georgia
Verdana
Trebuchet
Times New Roman
More recent operating systems,
such as Windows 7, include a wider
range, but you would need to be sure
everyones PC is up to date.

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Technical paper 9: Choosing a typeface for reading

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