Media & Reprographics
Writing and Designing Content for Maximum Impact
- For maximum impact and readability, use a sans serif typeface (such as Arial or Helvetica) for headlines and a serif typeface (such as Times Roman or Georgia ) for body copy.
- If you have a two-word headline, it's OK to set it in all uppercase type. But for longer headlines, avoid using all caps--it hinders reading. Instead use initial caps.
- Use verbs in the present tense--rather than past or future--to give headlines a greater sense of immediacy and impact.
- Keep related words together when headlines run to two or more lines--and avoid breaking lines at awkward or misleading points.
- Break up text with subheadings to help readers scan material quickly and provide visual interest to your piece.
- Sprinkle your articles with quotes from sources.
- Use captions to link photographs and illustrations to a story, but avoid stating the obvious. Omit the caption if the subject matter is self-explanatory. For maximum readability, place captions below the artwork. Include small photo credits to show appreciation for photos contributed by fellow employees or professional photographers.
- When using clip art, keep in mind that a single, large illustration is generally more appealing than numerous small illustrations placed randomly about the page. However, several individual-but-related clip art images may be grouped together for a very effective message.
- When wrapping text around a graphic, edit out excessive hyphenation and unsightly, irregular spacing between words.
- Use visual clues to guide readers through sections of your newsletter that appear as regular features. For example, show hands clapping at the head of a column entitled "Kudos".
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