Readability and Choosing the Right Font
Whether you are writing a report or creating marketing materials, the basics of graphic design will help you to produce visual communications that are effective in capturing the attention of your intended audience.  The art of sharing information can be optimised by incorporating graphic design elements such as combining text and symbols to better convey your message.  Even the shapes of the letters themselves can enhance the simple information being communicated by adding an emotional response to your document or design.

Using the default font on your computer, formerly Times New Roman but now Calibri, font size 12, and cramming as much information as possible onto the page will result in a very boring document that’s hard to read and from which it would be difficult to extract information.  One of the messages subtly suggested by such a document is that the author is boring and has no style or imagination. If, instead, you want to engage and excite your reader, the place to start is with the font you choose.  The font used will have an effect on how your message is received.  Having an easy to read font is an essential part of helping your reader initially scan your document, especially if we’re talking about a résumé.  

Text may be legible but not readable if the reader is prevented from reading easily and smoothly.  Readability is therefore the quality that makes the page easy to read, inviting, and pleasurable to the eye. Readability, not legibility, is, in fact, the document designer's goal!  In the past it was assumed that serif typefaces were more legible than sans-serif ones because the serifs were thought to help move the eye along the horizontal direction of reading; the serifs themselves becoming an additional means of differentiating letters from one another.  It was never conclusively shown that sans-serifs decrease legibility and serif fonts used at a small size lose their serifs anyway, so your choice should be influenced by the size and amount of text.  Most designers would recommend the choice of a sans-serif font.  Well known sans-serif fonts include Helvetica, Tahoma and Arial but there are plenty of others from which to choose.  The proportion and distribution of white space between lines, words, and characters are also major factors in determining readability.  Many sites offer free fonts these days so select one that positively influences readability and best fits the image you wish to convey.  When you look closely you will see some that appear ‘welcoming’ while others may strike you as ‘assertive’ or even ‘aggressive’.  Typefaces that create a clean or sharp image could be good choices for business documents.  There must be enough space between the lines (called leading) so that the eye can easily move in a horizontal direction, enough space between words so that they can be perceived as units, and enough space between letters so that they can be distinguished.

Generally speaking, typefaces with a larger x-height tend to be easier to read at smaller font sizes.  The x-height, or body height, is the main part of the lower case letters, exclusive of any ascenders or descenders.  It’s called the ‘x-height’ because it’s measured on the lower case ‘x’, i.e. the space from the base line of the x to the top of the x.  The x-height of a font determines its readability.  A larger x-height can make a font seem bigger than other fonts at the same font size.  The unused negative space that surrounds your text and graphic elements needs to be carefully considered so that the result is a balanced design.  White space can add an element of sophistication and elegance.  Another factor to consider as part of a design for print purposes is the choice of paper stock. 

Once you’ve selected a font and other elements that suit you, a good idea is to use them for all of your correspondence and marketing projects.  It can help you, or your business, to create a cohesive visual image.  Graphics can support the type you are using or the type can support the graphics you are using.  A strong image can draw your viewer into the document.  To deliver the message concisely and effectively, you need to make sure your type is expressive enough, your design is distinctive enough and the composition, overall, is strong enough.