by
Moataz El Baz , Design Director , Retal Urban Development Company
Select a single sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Palatino because these fonts are sometimes more difficult to read.
Use no font size smaller than point.
Use the same font for all your headlines.
Select a font for body copy and another for headlines.
Use bold and different sizes of those fonts for captions and subheadings.
Add a fourth font for page numbers or as a secondary body font for sidebars.
Don’t use more than four fonts in any one publication.
Clearly label each screen. Use a larger font (- points) or different color for the title.
Use larger fonts to indicate importance.
Use different colors, sizes and styles (e.g., bold) for impact.
Avoid italicized fonts as these are difficult to read quickly.
Avoid long sentences.
Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.
Limit punctuation marks.
No more than6-8 words per line
For bullet points, use the6 x6 Rule. One thought per line with no more than6 words per line and no more than6 lines per slide
Use dark text on light background or light text on dark background. However, dark backgrounds sometimes make it difficult for some people to read the text.
Do not use all caps except for titles.
Put repeating elements (like page numbers) in the same location on each page of a multi-page document.
To test the font, stand six feet from the monitor and see if you can read the slide.
