Which minimum font size should be used for the print for a visually impaired patient

The following information is for print design. However many of the principles for print design are the same as for online design, for example text spacing. It has been adapted with permission from the Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities Inc. [8]

Fonts

• The minimum recommended body size is 12-point type for a general audience, while 16 point is the minimum size recommended for people with vision impairment/low vision, or people with learning disabilities.
• Use a strong sans-serif font such as Arial.
• Avoid highly stylised or simulated handwriting and typefaces.
• Typefaces are available in different weights. Avoid light options as there is less contrast between paper and text.
• Avoid italics, which can be difficult for some people to read.
• Bold type can be used to emphasise text.
• Avoid using all capital letters in words. The human eye recognises the shape of words and a word in all capitals is harder to recognise.
• Use a typeface that makes numerals distinct.

Design characteristics

• Avoid underlining except for hyperlinks.
• Body text line length should be about 60 characters.
• Align text to the left-hand margin.
• Avoid right-justified text.
• The space between lines should be 1.5 and twice the space between words.
• Words should be evenly spaced.
• Make sure there is a strong contrast between the text and the background.
• Use plenty of white space around text and images and separate the different elements of the page.
• Avoid using text over images or patterned backgrounds.
• Avoid using colour shading and screens that reduce the contrast between text and background.
• To accentuate pieces of text, use white spaces or boxes.
• Leave a space between paragraphs for ease of reading.
• Avoid fitting text around images if this means lines of text start in different places and are difficult to find.
• Avoid using watermarks in the background of content to identify for example, “draft” and “confidential”. Signal these clearly on the front page and include in the running header or footer.
• Allow extra space/widely spaced lines on forms for people to write on or for signatures.
• Consistency is important, for example make sure page numbers are in the same place on each page.

Paper and binding

• Use matt or satin paper rather than glossy paper.
• Use paper with enough weight so the print does not show through on the other side.
• Choose binding that allows the print documents to open flat.

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Designing with clear and large print

Clear and Large Print are important for making your information accessible for people with visual impairments, but everyone benefits from information being clear and legible.

Clear and large print guidelines provide a standard for maximising the legibility of printed documents such as leaflets, brochures, guidebooks and maps. They can also be applied to other forms of written communication such as letters and forms.

The guidelines were developed by the RNIB based on its own research. As with all accessible information it is impossible to cater for all individual needs but Clear and large print are a good starting point.

Clear print

• Clear print requires a minimum font size of 12pt Arial
• The font that you use should be clear in its design, without too many flourishes. Avoid ‘handwriting’ or ‘fancy’ fonts
• Space between the lines (leading) should be at least single spacing, preferably more
• Text should be left aligned. Text that is centred or aligned on the right could be missed
• Do not hyphenate words at the end of lines
• Avoid using text on top of images; it is difficult to read and can be completely missed
• Avoid using words that are all in capital letters, this can be hard for people with visual impairments or dyslexia to read

Producing clear print

When designing a document, leaflet or brochure it is important to remember that not all fonts have letters that are the same size. For example, 12 point text in Arial will appear larger than 12 point text in Calibri. If you are using a font other than Arial compare a paragraph or text in both the fonts and adjust your font size accordingly.

• Develop a house style for the main text of documents that conforms to clear print guidelines
• If you use external suppliers develop an accessible information brief that includes directions to conform to clear print guidelines.

Large print

Whereas clear print is appropriate as a standard for all printed information large print is an alternative format and is beneficial for people with visual impairments.

• Large print is defined by the RNIB as being 16pt Arial or bigger. You should not refer to a document as being large print unless it conforms with this standard.
• Large print documents should also conform to other clear print guidelines concerning layout, use of fonts and images.

Producing large print

• Reading long documents, even in large print can be tiring for people with low vision. You should therefore reduce the length of the text as much as possible.
• If you are promoting a large print version of a leaflet or a brochure ensure that this is clearly displayed at the beginning or on front, in text that conforms to large print standards.

Further reading

For information about font sizes for signs and interpretation panels the Sign Design Guide, Peter Barker and June Fraser, JMU and Sign Design Society (ISBN 1 85878 412 3) is available from the RNIB and the Sign Design Society.

In brief

• Clear print guidelines should be adopted as a standard for all printed materials
• Always check your text design against the same text in 12 point Arial to see how it
  compares for size and clarity
• Include accessible information guidelines as a part of your organisation’s commitment to
  accessibility
• As well as font size and style ensure that your materials display good colour and contrast

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