Desktop Publishing

  1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Desktop Publishing

Lesson 6: Assignment

Line Length

From Jacci Howard Bear, Instructor, for About.com

These are guidelines not hard-and-fast line length rules. A longer or shorter line length may be justified in some designs; however, using these formulas will give you an idea of what line length range is most reader-friendly for your chosen font.
  1. Experiment with page / column width.
    Using a few more of the documents you created in previous lessons, alter the page or column width in each layout using the font sizes you originally chose. Find the widest and narrowest columns that you can use and still look good and have the text readable. Don’t use the line length formulas. Just eyeball it, do what looks right.

  2. Experiment with font size.
    Using some of the documents you created in previous lessons alter the font sizes in each layout. Go bigger and smaller until you find what you feel is the largest and smallest font size you can use for those page/column widths. Don’t use the line length formulas. Just eyeball it, do what looks good.

  3. Calculate ideal line lengths.
    Using the line length calculations on page 1 of this lesson determine the range of the ideal line length for each of the documents you just worked with in steps 1 and 2. Do your lines fall within that range? If not, are they way too short or too long or just a little outside the range?
You may find that you’re able to choose good line lengths without using formulas or doing a lot of experimentation. If so, that’s great. When in doubt, keep these formulas in mind.

In our next lesson of this series we’re SHOUTING about type. Are you misusing capital letters?

Found this page by accident? This is one of 12 lessons delivered as part of the Rules of Desktop Publishing free email class.

 

Explore Desktop Publishing

About.com Special Features

Build Your Own Website

Step-by-step advice on how to do everything from choosing a Web host to promoting your content. More >

Connect Your Home Computers

Easy ways to connect two computers for networking purposes. More >

Desktop Publishing

  1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Desktop Publishing

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.