Choose the Right Font
Font selection profoundly impacts readability. For printed books, classic serif fonts like Bembo and Garamond are ideal for body text. Their letterforms and stroke contrast help guide the eye naturally across lines. For ebooks, sans serifs like Helvetica or Arial render better on screens. Avoid fanciful display fonts, which tire the eye.
Use Proper Line Spacing
Line spacing, called leading, should be 120-150% of the font size. Lines spaced too closely cause “rivers” of white space and strain reader eyes. Overly loosed lines break text flow. Perfect leading creates “invisible” spacing between lines for seamless reading.
Balance Margins
Carefully balanced margins prevent a cramped feeling. For print books, mirror the inner and outer margins, keeping outer margins slightly wider. eBooks allow more flexibility, but be sure text doesn’t become too centered. Uneven margins introduce visual tension.
Strategize Paragraph Styling
Frequent paragraph breaks ensure easier reading by limiting text walls. Indent paragraphs or insert line spaces between them. Be consistent with styling. Vary paragraph lengths to maintain interest.
Employ Text Contrast
Use formatting like bold, italics, and text size to establish hierarchy. This guides the reader’s eye to essential passages and text levels. But use contrast judiciously. Too much variance causes clutter.
Mind the Rag
“Rag” refers to uneven spacing between words. Justified text alignment can cause stretched rag on the right. Hyphenation and letterspacing tuning improve ragged edges. Left-aligning text is acceptable too.
Follow Legibility Best Practices
Stick to proven principles like large x-heights, adequate line lengths, widow/orphan control and dark ink. These fundamentals invented by typography pioneers ensure effortless reading.
Testing Is Key
Perform rigorous tests on various devices before publishing. Verify no passages strain readability. Friend and editor feedback also provides valuable layout critiques.
By mastering these interior book design techniques that consider ergonomics and reader perspective, you allow your words to shine without distractions. Typographic nuances may seem invisible, but profoundly impact the reading experience and your work's resonance.