How to Use Large Fonts
When properly placed, large fonts take the reader on an enjoyable journey that your document has planned all along. However, if big letters are overused, they can have the opposite effect and bring chaos to an otherwise smoothly worded, artistically written piece. It's not how many large fonts you have that makes the difference; it's all in the way of how you use them. Learn when to assign the gigantic point size to illustrate your chosen words and begin to add alphabetical impact on paper.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Use a larger font in the title of a report to separate it from other data and analysis information. By doing this, you respect your readers' time by giving them a chance to see what the report is all about. A good guideline for enlarging fonts is to try increasing them slowly, starting between 1 to 2 points larger than the primary text size, and then continue to increase from there if needed.
-
2
Separate chapters within a substantially sized document by using a slightly larger font size. When segments are divided, it brings the reader specific, comfortable stopping points throughout long pages of text. They will be more likely to absorb what has already been read and return to finish the entire document. Try increasing the font size to between 2- and 6-point sizes larger than the rest of the text.
-
-
3
Let the large font stand on its own. Skip applying extra boldness to the font when it is larger. Because the size of the font automatically makes it stand out, applying "bold" to it may be a bit overwhelming in some cases. If you decide to bold it anyway, notice if there is a drastic difference between the heaviness of the larger fonts, compared with smaller ones. If it is not appealing and easy to read, remove the bold enhancement or select another font that is more compatible, complementing the other fonts in your document.
-
4
If you are distributing your document via email, stick with commonly recognized fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman or convert your document into a picture file Some applications do not convert non-TrueType or rare font styles correctly. And if the text is a larger font size, the conversion errors can be even more noticeable. Lean to the safer side and convert the document to a PDF, BMP, TIFF or GIFF or select one of the more basic font style types. (Note: This does not apply to web page design.)
-
5
Use larger fonts sparingly if used within paragraphs along with normal-size text (font size 10 or 12 point is considered typical). Think of larger fonts as an accent to the text instead of saturation. Emphasize those words that draw the reader to your point. If they stand out too much, it could be a distraction. Keep it short and sweet. If emphasis is needed, consider sticking with one to three words or just one sentence in an entire page when applying words with larger text, to keep distraction to a minimum.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Test the placement of text with a larger font size by keeping it the same color as the other words within the document. The larger fonts should stand on their own, without being distracting. Use color sparingly on larger fonts, if at all. Otherwise, the large and colorful text can look like it does not belong with the rest of the document.
Resources
- Photo Credit Microsoft Clip Art
