Readability

A text is readable ...

Readability is influenced by ...


1	readability	lesbarkeit, die
2	letter spacing	zeichenabstand, der
3	touching; tight; normal; wide	klebend; eng; normal; weit
4	line spacing	zeilenabstand, der
5	word spacing	wortabstand, der
6	upper case	grossbuchstabe, der; versalie, die
7	lower case	kleinbuchstabe, der; minuskel, die

Letter spacing

Line spacing

Some paragraphs with decreasing amount of line spacing. At the bottom a pargraph all uppercase with tight line spacing

Word spacing

Upper paragraph with relatively large word spacing. Lower paragraph with normal word spacing, but tight ligne spacing

Upper and lower case

Type set in mixed case

Type set in all upper case

Words set in uppercase and lowercase have more distinctive outline which enables the reader to recognise the words faster. Words set in all all caps have an even horizontal outline with letters of similar shape and size. Type set this way severely impairs reading – more so than any other legibility factor. Also it uses a significantly greater amount of space – as much as 35% – than text set in lowercase of the same size.

WORDS SET IN UPPERCASE AND LOWERCASE HAVE MORE DISTINCTIVE OULINE WHCIH ENABLES THE READER TO RECOGNISE THE WORDS FASTER. WORDS SET IN ALL ALL CAPS HAVE AN EVEN HORIZONTAL OUTLINE WITH LETTERS OF SIMILAR SHAPE AND SIZE. TYPE SET THIS WAY SEVERELY IMPAIRS READING – MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER LEGIBILITY FACTOR. ALSO IT USES A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER AMOUNT OF SPACE – AS MUCH AS 35% – THAN TEXT SET IN LOWERCASE OF THE SAME SIZE.

Sources

Swiss publication Produktion+Print, Nr. 10, Oktober 1996. Definitions according to Duden / Wahrig / Langenscheidt.