Graphics with

Columns of Content

the visual field is only a few inches.

Research shows that reading slows and retention rates fall as line length begins to exceed the ideal width.*

This may be caused by having

columns that are too wide. If lines of text are too long, your readers get lost when their eyes return to the left side. The long length makes it difficult to determine when the text starts and ends.

Do not use the full length of your

slide; break your pages into columns.

On the flip side, if lines of text are too short, the eye has to travel back and forth too often. This is tiring on the eye and frustrating to readers who

are unable to read a complete

thought.

Placing text in columns gives you a

natural way to associate graphics at the top of a text field.

The first rule of formatting like a pro is staying consistent. Laying out your text isn’t just about making it fit or making it pretty; it’s about making it consumable.

The ideal line length for text is based on the physiology of the human eye. At normal reading distance the arc of