As with all layouts, alignment depends on the purpose of the piece, the audience and its expectations, the fonts, the margins and white space, and other elements on the page. The most appropriate choice is the alignment that works for that particular design.
"Right and wrong do not exist in graphic design. There is only effective and non-effective communication."
— Peter Bilak - Illegibility
About Centered Text
- Lends a formal appearance to text, which is why it is often used in formal wedding invitations, certificates, and on plaques.
- Generally harder to read long lines and multiple paragraphs of centered text.
- Works best with fairly short lines and extra leading (space between lines of text).
- Centered headlines work best over body text that is fully-justified.
Centered text is harder to read because the starting position of each line changes, forcing the reader to work harder to find where each line begins to continue reading. For large blocks of text, try to avoid centered text. Numbered and bulleted lists should almost always be left-aligned as well to aid in quickly scanning the list. Save centering for invitations, greeting cards, and certificates.
The Bottomline: There is no right or wrong way to align text. Use the alignment that makes the most sense for the design and that effectively communicates your message. However, for most body copy situations, avoid centered text.
The Desktop Document > Text Phase > Text Composition > Placement/Alignment
