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You are here: Home / Typography / Typography Quote of the Day: Legibility vs. Readability

Typography Quote of the Day: Legibility vs. Readability

June 1, 2013 by Douglas Bonneville

flickr.com/groups/_typography/pool/

Legibility is another area where the designer can be misled by what seems like an obvious dictate in type selection and design. There can be no question about the readability of the message, but legibilty and readability are not quite the same — a dull and uninteresting presentation in a highly legible typeface will not be widely read. There have been many studies of comparative legibility, and each study seems to surface with slightly different conclusions. For the designer, the best solution is to use his material in such a way that it arouses interest and invites reading.

—Allen Hurlburt, Layout: The Design of the Printed Page

 

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About Douglas Bonneville

Douglas has been a graphic designer since 1992, in addition to software developer and author. He is a member of Smashing Magazine's "Panel of Experts" and has contributed to over 100 articles. He is the author of "The Big Book of Font Combinations", loves cats, and plays guitar.

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