Five Tips for Type in Online Learning
By Saul Carliner

An important concern in designing online learning is the proper use of type. Consider these guidelines as you choose sizes and fonts for the text in your online learning programs.

1. Limit the number of fonts on screen to two. The more fonts that appear on screen, the more difficult it is for learners to read the text. So, choose one font for the headings and another for body text (all of the rest). Make sure that the two typefaces coordinate nicely; the typeface that you choose for headings should look good with the typeface you choose for body text.

Generally, if you choose a serif font for one, choose a sans serif font for the other. (Serifs are the little hook marks that appear on letters, mimicking the calligraphy from the days before printing presses. As the word sans implies, sans serif fonts eliminate those marks.) For example, if you choose a sans serif font like Arial for headings, you might choose a serif font like Times New Roman for the body text. You can also use the same typeface for headings and body text.

Many designers wonder whether to use a serif or sans serif font for online body text. For years, the practical thinking was that sans serif fonts were better for online reading, because the thinness of lines on some of the letters in serif fonts made characters difficult to distinguish. As the display qualities of monitors improve, the display of serif letters improves. However, some studies do suggest that readers prefer sans serif fonts online.  

Popular fonts include 

2. Make sure the size of body text is readable. For most typefaces, 11 point is an appropriate size for body text. If the typeface itself is small, you might increase the size to 12 points. (For example, Arial Narrow and Haettenschweiller are small fonts.)  You might also increase the size to 12 points if a significant part of your audience is over 40. Reading smaller type becomes increasingly difficult with age.  

3. Use the same font for all headings. You don’t need to change fonts in order to distinguish among levels of headings. Instead, manipulate the size of type for headings according to the common editorial system used in word processing templates, desktop publishing software, and online learning authoring tools. The system identifies the importance of a heading: The lower the number, the more significant the heading.

4. Justify text appropriately. Justification refers to the alignment of text on the margin.  

Despite all of those choices, it’s recommended that you justify text only on the left margin. Do not justify  the right margin as well. To make sure that the text justifies on both margins, the system either stretches the letters or adds many extra spaces. The type looks strange, and it interferes with reading. 

5. Use emphasis type appropriately. Although using emphasis type such as bold and italic is perceived to call attention to text, its excessive use does just the opposite. Overusing bold and italic draws attention away from your message. Publishing convention limits the use of bold and italic to particular instances.

Use emphasis type as suggested below.

Use those five type tips to make your online learning programs readable and effective.