Readability and readability are two different tasks required of a good typeface. So what is the difference?

Legibility refers to the ease with which one letter can be distinguished from another, or the ‘clearness’ of a typographic style. Readability is built into the font (or not) by its designer and is largely out of the typographer’s control. Sans serif fonts (those without serifs, the horizontal ornaments at the top and bottom of the letters) are considered more legible and are commonly used for headlines, signage, and computer screen text.

Readability is the relative ease with which a typeface can be read when the characters are arranged in words, sentences, and paragraphs. Longer blocks of text need to be legible to retain the reader and increase comprehension. Setting text to columns makes the line length shorter, which improves readability. Text set to ‘jagged right’ alignment is more readable than text ‘force justified’ or manipulated to align to the left and right margins. White space, subheadings, and other text-breaking elements provide resting places for the reader’s eye and help prevent fatigue.

Colin Wheildon, author of type and design found in his research on print typography, “Body text should be set to serif type if the designer intends it to be read and understood. More than five times as many readers are likely to show good comprehension when using a body type serif rather than a sans serif body type.”

The serifs themselves form a visual “horizon”, helping the reader with character recognition and the ability to read groups of words rather than one word at a time. The thick and thin elements of most serif faces also help the eye distinguish between characters; making letters more recognizable and words more legible.

To maximize readability, it’s generally best to avoid extremes. Choose fonts that have:

– Letters with similar character widths instead of large variations in width

– Average height/width ratios (letters not excessively thin or thick)

– Medium-height lowercase letters (neither too short nor too tall in relation to their capital letters)

– Small variations in stroke weights (similar thicknesses between letter parts)

– Medium-sized “Counters” (the spaces enclosed within letters like e, a, b, d, g, o, p, and q) instead of big or small

– Simple forms without flourishes or decorations that can interfere with the flow and attract the reader

We want our stuff to be read. Let’s make it easy to read.