About Desktop Publishing: Don't Push Readers Up Against the Wall (of Text)

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Desktop Publishing Desktop Publishing Start Here Learn the Software Pick a Project From Jacci Howard Bear, your Guide to Desktop Publishing On a news & information forum that I read frequently I ran across a post with an intriguing title. I wanted to read it. I tried to read it. But several minutes into the post I realized that I'd read the same several sentences three or four times and a quick glance showed that there were many more screens of reading ahead. Was the writer being that repetitive? No. Skipping ahead to some of the replies, hoping that others might shed some light on what the post title had promised, I found that other forum readers had become just as frustrated as I was. They were complaining that they wanted to read what the thread author had to say but were quickly losing patience. The subject matter wasn't the issue. Grammar and spelling, although not perfect, weren't the issue. The fact that it was a long (long, long, long) post wasn't the issue either. One reply summed up the issue quite nicely. He wrote, "Learn to use the ENTER key." Us readers were frustrated by the endless wall of text. Much like this wall of text newsletter introduction you're (maybe) reading right now. The author lost our interest by not giving us a break or two -- paragraph breaks.  Give Readers a Way Through and Around Your Text From the super simple to more creative and visually-stimulating, here are ways to avoid the wall of text that can prevent readers from exploring what you have to say.  Search Related Topics:  gray text  wall of text  paragraph spacing Finding Your Way Around a Document Readers use visual signposts or cues to help navigate, skim, and then read an article, book, or Web site. Are ;you providing the right signs? Search Related Topics:  visual signposts  page layout techniques  Related Searches Desktop Publishing Publishing Software Creating Newsletter Service Software Newsletter Templates Featured Articles Prepress and Printing Web Design Tutorials Education and Training Business of Design Encyclopedia of Desktop Publishing Gray Text   More from About.com Sign-up for Shareables! An every-morning rundown of the day in history, headlines and trends produced by your pals at About.com. Please sign up it's free (of course), we think you will like it! Want More From About.com Check out our social page tailored to your interest! This newsletter is written by: Jacci Howard Bear Desktop Publishing Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Desktop Publishing newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. If you would like to unsubscribe from all newsletters sent from About.com, please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" as the subject line. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2014 About.com   In Case You Missed It Parts of a Graduation Invite Script Snowflake Letters Format Better Headlines   Follow me on: Advertisement