9. Use of Italics, Bold or Upper Case Type

Italic, bold and upper case typefaces are usually reserved for words that need special emphasis, but should be used with extreme caution because they impair reading. Even in headlines, using upper case type can slow down the brain’s ability to process information. This is because the brain scans lines of text by picking up on letters that stick out from the rest; in upper case text, all letters are the same height, so this information is lost.

To demonstrate this effect, here are two lines of text with only the top half showing. Which can you read more clearly from a distance?

Let’s see if you can read this

OK, NOW TRY WITH THIS

You need to pay particular attention to the use of different typefaces when writing copy for the web. Words should never be underlined as this is standard online convention for a link to another page, so it will confuse readers. On the other hand, picking out intros and salient paragraphs in bold or italic type can actually improve readability on screen by giving the eye reference points to follow, particularly when scrolling down pages. However, different devices will display text in different ways, so you have to allow for the fact that your italicised emphasis might not show up in a text message.