Week 10 Page 9: Spacing and Readability

Spacing and Readability

Look at the spacing examples in the slide above. Notice how some extra line spacing (far left) can really improve the look of the type. A bolder typeface with a large x-height really benefits from more line spacing. (Look at the sample at bottom right and see if you agree.)

The only way to designate line spacing on the web is by using Cascading Style Sheets.

Paragraph Indents and Spacing:

One other golden rule of spacing... don't use BOTH paragraph indents AND paragraph spacing (see sample in the slide above on the left at the top right). Firstly, it gives the type a very ragged (and ugly) appearance. Secondly, it's a waste of space. Check out this example:

• http://www.mataortiz.com/aboutmata.htm Links to an external site. (Archived version)

 

Compare the above example to the example below (in the screen shot):

Which of the two pages of text looks cleaner and easier to read?

If you're short on vertical space, use paragraph indents (like they do in the newspapers). If you're not worried about how long the text runs, then use extra space between paragraphs -- it makes the type look less dense. However, avoid using a full double space because this makes the paragraphs too "gappy." Consider using CSS to control the space between each paragraph.