Go to Table of Contents Go to Previous Section Go to Next Section Go to Previous Page Go to Next Page Section Index


Use Italics Sparingly


Letters printed in italic typefaces, in any medium, are crowded more closely together than their associated roman versions. This makes any italic typeface more difficult to read. The problem is especially pronounced when the medium is the computer screen, where limitations on resolution erase, or distort, many of the visual cues in the typeface. Of course, italics are ideal for emphasis, but there are other ways to achieve similar effects. Consider:

Using boldface. (But too much of this is tiring.)
Using underscoring. (But this can be confused with hyperlinks.)
Using a contrasting font. (Also becomes tiring, and may just look bad.)
Increasing the type size.
Adding color.