Designing Information Material

Designing Information Material 4(1+3)

Lesson 5: Tools in Information Design Text

Line Length

It is easy to change the length of lines. The length of a line will affect reading speed. The longer the lines the wider should be the vertical space between them. Readers tend to dislike both very short and very long lines. Quite often the optimum line length seems to be about 1 1/2 alphabets– 42 characters. This is nine to eleven centimetres with optimum character size, ten to twelve points, at a normal reading distance. A text column may be widened up to 120–130 millimeters to accommodate more text, and still be easy to read for an experienced reader. It is quite clear that too wide lines impair reading. In my opinion the maximum line should not have much more than 60–70 characters. The optimum line length should be found for each individual purpose and each audience. Example:-

Too short lines	Short lines	Optimum line length
The main	The main components	The main components in message design
components in	in message design	are words, visuals and forms. These main
message design	are words, visuals	components may be used in many
are words,	and forms. These	different ways to produce, transmit
visuals and forms.	main components may	and interpret messages of various kinds
These main	be used in many	in different communication situations.
components may	different ways to produce,
be used	transmit and interpret
in many	messages of various
different ways	kinds in different
to produce	communication situations.
transmit and
interpret messages
of various
kinds in
different
communication
situations.

Long lines
The main components in message design are words, visuals and forms. These main components may be used in many different ways to produce, transmit and interpret messages of various kinds in different communication situations.