Designing with clear print and large print

Clear print and large print standards are used to maximise 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.

Whereas clear print is appropriate as a standard for all printed materials, large print is an alternative format that is valuable for visually impaired people and people with dyslexia.

Clear print maximises the legibility of printed materials and will significantly increase the number and diversity of people who can access your printed materials.. It is especially important for people with visual impairments, who are neurodivergent, or with dyslexia, but it benefits everyone.

Clear print won't remove the importance of additional formats like braille and audio, but it will ensure that your standard materials are as accessible as possible.

• Clear print requires a minimum font size of 12pt Arial, ideally 14pt. This applies to all elements, including page numbers, captions and footer text.
• Font styles have different sized letters, so always compare a paragraph with one printed in Arial and adjust accordingly.

• Choose fonts that are known as being clear and easy to read, this tends to be Sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Verdana. Avoid very decorative styles such as ‘handwriting’ fonts, as these are harder to read.
• Avoid lighter fonts and use standard or semi-bold.
• Limit bold, CAPS and italics to occasional use and completely avoid underlining.
• Maximise colour and tonal contrast between font colour and background. Online contrast checkers enable you to explore different colour combinations for free, such as the WebAIM contrast checker.
• Reversed-out text (eg white on black) is less sharp and tiring to read for most people, especially the 50% of the population with some degree of astigmatism. It is best limited to headings and smaller blocks of text.
• Colour perception varies, especially with colour blindness, so avoid using colour as the only way of indicating types of information.
• Do not overlay text over images as it is difficult and confusing to read.

• A clear, consistent layout will help people navigate the information. Headings should be at least 20% larger than the body text, and follow a logical sequence through h1, h2, h3 etc.
• Left align text as this makes it easier to track the start of sentences and avoids the variable spaces in justified text.
• Use greater than single line spacing and avoid large, dense blocks of text. Provide generous margins, space between paragraphs and around boxes on forms.
• Do not hyphenate words at the end of lines.

• For images and graphics that share information, provide alt text (alternative text) so that screen readers will access it.
• If an image or graphic is purely decorative then add “” (two double quotes with no space) to signify an empty description.
• Aim to avoid sharing important information through images or graphics alone and instead make sure that it is also covered in the text.
• Choose images and illustrations that are as clear as possible, with good contrast, and avoid placing text over them.

Large print makes printed materials more accessible for people with visual impairments, and it can be valable for others too, such as people with dyslexia. It uses a combination of large font size, clear fonts and layouts, and high contrast.

• Large print is defined by the RNIB as being 16pt Arial or bigger. They highlight that most requests are for print in the range of 18-20pt.
• Note that letter size varies with different font styles so always compare with an Arial font and adjust to match.
• Large print documents should also conform to other clear print guidelines concerning layout, use of fonts and images.
  
• Reading long documents, even in large print can be tiring for people with low vision. Therefore aim to reduce the length of the text as much as possible.
• If you are promoting a large print version of a leaflet or other material ensure that it is clearly shown at the front of the document in text that conforms to large print standards.

• Develop a house style for the main text of documents that conforms to clear print and large print standards.
• Ensure that everyone involved in producing printed materials is familiar with these accessibility standards.
• If you use external suppliers develop an accessible information brief that includes directions to conform to clear print guidelines.

• UKAAF (UK Association for Accessible Formats) Clear print and large print standards www.ukaaf.org/service/
• RNIB guidance on clear print and large print www.rnib.org.uk/living...