Picking the Right Font Face for your DocumentWritten by Rafael Van Dyke
Picking good fonts are not usually a high priority when it comes to preparing a document; and most of time, it probably shouldn’t. It’s easy just to stick with reliable default fonts, like Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, CG Times, or Universal. And why not? They’re great fonts that are readable, simple, and extremely versitile (which is why they’ve been chosen as default fonts for many software programs). But remember, goal of creating a better document is make it stand out amongst other files; therefore, it only makes sense to steer away from default fonts as a general rule. That’s easy enough, right? Well, most people fall under one of two categories: either you don’t have enough fonts to choose from or you have too many fonts to choose from. If your font selection is limited, then your problem is easy to resolve - you just simple buy or download more fonts. The other problem of having too many fonts to choose from takes a little more knowhow. How do you know which font to use with a particular document? At this time, I would like to offer to you my guidelines for choosing fonts, broken down by document type. Legal Documents When it comes to legalise, it’s good to be safe side. That why default fonts are actually perfect solution for legal documents, especially Times New Roman. But if you need a change of pace try these: Perpetua is slightly smaller than Times New Roman and gives a softer feel; Book Antiqua is slightly bigger, and has a strong presence. Letters & Memos In business, letters & memos should still make an impression that’s professional. The default fonts are fine (particularly Arial & Helvetica), but we can definitely afford to spice up these documents for extra appeal. Consider following fonts for business letter & memos: Bell MT, Calisto MT, Franklin Gothic Book, or Garamond. When it comes to personal letters, you should pick your favorite font, whichever one that might be. If you don’t have, feel free to use my personal favorites ... Tahoma & Footlight MT Light. Presenting to Clients and Potential Prospects Documents to placed in front of a client, it is an absolute must that they look their best and stand out. Therefore, you are forbidden from using a default font in this situation! Also, you’ll want to select two fonts; one for all of your headings (preferably one that is thicker and looks good when font size is 14 and above), and other for your regular paragraph text (something that’s as readable as default font, but better looking. Be consistent - make sure all of your subheadings are same font size.
| | The Right Way to Use Text ColorsWritten by Rafael Van Dyke
Flyers, newsletters, brochures, ads, business cards, etc. are all made to be “pleasing to eye”; and one of best ways to accomplish that is to add color to your document. Using colors is a great way to make documents stand out and be noticed, particularly when it comes to text. At same time, these documents still need to look as professional as a black & white document. Follow these simple guidelines to make sure that text in your document isn’t overdone with color. More Is Not Always Better If you use too many different colors in your document, it usually becomes something that is not easy to read or to even look at – which means that your audience will be lost. How many text colors is too many? Typically, you shouldn’t use anymore than 3 text colors for your whole document. Color Schemes The important part of using text colors is choosing right combination of colors, called color scheme. The key is to select a solid main color and other colors that compliment it and don’t clash with it. When you use Microsoft Publisher, publication wizards give you a nice selection of color schemes to choose from and will apply them in right places in your publication. You can also go to The Color Schemer, select a main color from left, and it will give you a palette of colors to go with it on right.
|
