Introduction
People with low vision are unique, being neither fully sighted nor totally blind. Visual acuities vary greatly, as do individual needs. This is especially true regarding the wide range of criteria and guidelines that are used by printing houses and publishers to produce "large print" documents for the low vision community.
Guidelines
The following are best practices and guidelines for large print documents adopted by the ACB Board of Publications in 2022.
Base Font
- Arial, not bold, 18pt
Headings
- Flush left, bold, Heading 22pt, Subheading 20pt
Spacing
- 1.15 line spacing
Paragraphs
- Blocked with 1 blank line between and between headings/subheadings and text.
Margins
- Flush left margin, Ragged right margin.
- Clear spacing of 1 inch for top, left and right margins.
Format Indicators
- Asterisks, dashes, etc.
Emphasis
- Underline
Bullets
- Large, solid, dark bullets with no blank line in between
Lists
- Bulleted
- Bullets as primary and numbers as applicable (make sure the numbers are the same size)
Hanging Indent
- List items aligned directly below the first item with the bullet out dented to the left margin.
Columns
- Single column per page.
- Horizontally connect two related columns of information (e.g., table of contents) with leader dots.
Notes
- Notes or citations at the end of the article
Conclusion
The intent of this summary of large print information is to provide a one-stop, comprehensive resource for producers and consumers of large print documents. This document is a summary of the most important large print issues. While developed specifically for use in large print documents, these best practices are not exclusive to this medium. Many of these guidelines can easily be applied to other formats, such as: printed labels for a variety of uses, signage of all sorts, a wide range of computer applications, and many others. The proper mix of spacing, font size, style, and contrast, can enhance the readability of any printed material used by the low vision community.