Website Tip: Design For Easy Reading
By Chelsea Junget
People read text on a computer screen at about 1/4th the speed that they read a printed publication. Limiting website content to brief points organized in a reader-friendly fashion will ensure your website copy gets read.
Font choice for website content can also have an impact on readability. Debates on the readability of serif vs sans-serif typefaces have taken place for years. Many serif typefaces (such as Times New Roman) were created long ago for printing presses. Though they print with clarity they may not be easy to read on a computer monitor. Some sans-serif typefaces (like Arial and Verdana) were designed specifically for computer screens and can improve online readability.
Font color and background also play a role in readability. A white or pastel background helps emphasize dark text. Dark backgrounds with light or white font colors can tire the eye and may not work as well for text heavy website pages.
Finally, computer monitor size and resolution plays a big role in readability of your website content. While it’s impossible to know the dimensions or resolution of a visitor’s monitor, you can set your site to display the optimum text size for the most common settings.
Tags: strategy, web design
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Dark text on a light background IS easier to read.