The first basic rule of web site design is that your site should be easy to read. That means producing HTML text, background images, and the text in graphic images with the highest possible contrast. The highest color contrast comes from using the 2 colors black and white. Another good color combination is light yellow and dark blue. The graphic image below illustrates the 6 highest contrast web color combinations:
In general, it is best to keep the highest color contrast in your main HTML (body) text. Other color combinations are best used in headings, mastheads, sidebars (background images), navigation buttons, and image maps. Using graphic images as backgrounds can make a web site more aesthetically pleasing, but graphic image backgrounds can make your web site more difficult to read.
If you know that the text in your graphic images will continue on a second line, then it is best to increase the leading, or the spacing between lines of text.
The most legible typefaces are standard serif (usually Times) and sans-serif (usually Arial or Helvetica) fonts. Decorative or cursive fonts are much more difficult to read.
Thus, it is best to design the majority of your site in a serif or sans-serif typeface. If you have a decorative or cursive font in your logo and wish to use the typeface in your web site design, it is best to use it in (a) graphic images and (b) to use it in a larger type size.
Sometimes, sans-serif typefaces are more legible than serif typefaces when the character size is small. The following graphic image displays two common typefaces in the same size:
In terms of font style, italicized, oblique or condensed fonts are more difficult to read than standard typefaces.
In conclusion, to make your web site easy to read, you should always consider color contrast, legible typefaces, font size, and font style when designing your web site and web graphic images. |
