Advice on best font to use for PDF

by 56 replies
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I am busy creating a PDF for a client and they intend using it with gotowebinar.

Any suggestions on which is the best font and font size to use?
#website design #advice #font #pdf
  • I prefer Tahoma or Verdana at 12 points for the body text. Arial is similar, but the letter "w" comes out looking lighter than the rest of the text in a PDF.
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    • Yep, I too love either Tahoma or Verdana, depends on what I am writing. Of course for headlines I choose Impact to make them stand out more.

      Internet links however are usually in Times New Roman
  • Hi guys

    i love times new roman size 14 and it looks really nice and comes across great in the pdf dont do 1.5 spacing though as people with eye sight problems cant read it at all.

    kind regards


    sam
    X
  • My favourite is probably Calibri, I've tried Arial but to me it only really looks good at sizes under 14pt
  • If the PDF is being read online then use Verdana for the
    main body copy.

    Why?

    Because Verdana was specifically designed to be easily
    read off of a computer screen.

    If the PDF is to be printed off and read later, then use a
    serif font such as or for the body
    copy.

    Why?

    Because serif fonts are easier to read from printed matter.

    For a PDF within GoToWebinar, I recommend using Verdana
    and a decent font size of 12-14 points.

    Dedicated to your success,

    Shaun
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • That's a good summary to keep in mind. Deciding on which fonts to use is one of those evergreen Internet publishing concerns - one to which you never seem to get a conclusive answer.

      Verdana = computer screen

      Serif fonts = printed matter

      provides a simple and logical reference to keep in mind.
    • Goiod advice. I'd add one suggestion to this: If you're not sure, or you expect a mixed usage, Georgia is an excellent choice. I wouldn't go below 12 point on that for the body content, and not much (if anything) above it.

      Too small and it suffers from the same on-screen problems that Times New Roman has. Much above that and it just adds padding and looks silly in printed form.


      Paul
  • I use Verdana 12. This is big enough and clear to read. No fancy details etc to distract.
  • Any TrueType font will work but historically the sans-serif fonts have been the easiest to read.
  • Gee. I've been running to 16 point. Georgia. On the
    assumption most people won't print the PDF.

    I usually format for about 10-12 words to a line. That's
    something of a publishing standard for readability.

    I find reading on a computer fatiguing. Big PDF type
    helps because I can sit way back and scroll while I
    read. I see a lot of PDFs that are too densely
    formatted, imo.
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    • [1] reply
    • Tahoma and Georgia fonts are great for online reading in general. Tahoma for the headlines and Georgia for the body.

      These will be fine as most people never print PDFs
  • Calibra for me at 14 or 16 pt!

    GoGetta
  • +2 on Verdana.

    Be aware that unless you actively embed the fonts you're using, that fancy Route 66 font (example) won't come out the same as on your own computer. PDFs substitute for fonts on the reader's computer and/or throw up missing font errors. In my opinion it's best to stick with either...

    Arial series
    Impact
    Times New Roman
    Bookman
    Verdana
    Courier

    ... just to be sure.
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    • [2] replies
    • Arial 12 point.
    • Does the same apply if you use google fonts?
  • It amazes me how often I Google something and end up at the Warrior Forum for the answer. I'm updating a document I assume people will print out because it's 100+ pages. I would have gone with Verdana or Tahoma - now I know better.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • Why do you know better, now? You just have more opinions from which to choose, several of which are telling you to go for Verdana.

      Here's another vote for Verdana, from me...
      • [1] reply
  • This link should answer all your questions about fonts

    WebAIM: Fonts

    It is geared towards accessibility. However, usability and accessibility are very much related
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies

    • This was a nice read buddy

      Anyways, I use Times New Roman and Verdana the most....sometimes Arial too

      thanks
      Ankur
    • I like these types of responses since everyone has their preferences and will give different opinions here in the WF, however the link you added gives one the opportunity to learn and decide for themselves which font would be most suitable for their project.

      • [1] reply
  • I use Calibri at size 16 for the body text and for the headers and chapters I use Times New Roman at size 24. I write it with mircosoft word than convert it also.
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    • From all the literature I've seen, they tend to suggest using a sans-serif font for headings. The reason being that the serifs are just added extras that don't serve any purpose.

      In long lines of text, the serifs to a certain degree draws lines across the page, which aid your eyes when you are reading long lines of text.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • my favorite is lucida sans unicode
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  • Tahoma 12-14 is my staple. I'm not sure why but to me, it seems more fun to read. Not sure if that makes sense. I lose interest in "non-fiction" reading material rather quickly and I can imagine that is not a rare trait. I also think it's relatively easy on most eyes.
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  • I like Helvetica 12/14pt Personally - a very clean and easily legible font
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    • The prevalence of font display technologies such as ClearType have rendered some of the "specifically designed for screen readability" aspects somewhat moot. However, there are still other reasons to use Verdana and Tahoma, such as "I" vs "l"(L), and character widths.

      Verdana is optimized for smaller font settings. If you expect your ebooks to be printed out, then smaller font sizing may be a suboptimal choice.

      I was going to say Helvetica also, until I remembered that most PC users don't have it. Myself included.

      I don't know whether using a font in a PDF requires the end user to have the font installed. If not, then Helvetica is indeed a reasonable option.
      • [1] reply
  • Go with Verdana 12. It's just the better option in my opinion, especially since it's for computers.
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  • I would say that Tahoma, Verdana and Arial fonts looks the best
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  • Banned
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  • Size 14 is the best in my personal opinion. 12 too small and 16 too large. 15 in some fonts works okay.
  • Comic Sans.











    Totally kidding. I know everyone loves that font so much. Just kidding.
    • [1] reply
  • Here's another vote for Verdana. I think size 12 reads easiest.
  • Finding the right font can be confusing so it is probably a good idea to read through the posts and many good suggestions made here. Make notes and try each font to see how they would look in your ebook.

    Make your headlines and sub-heads larger and heavier than the body text and make sure your body text is large enough to be read comfortably.

    However, there are so many different fonts to choose from, you are probably doing yourself a disservice by not investigating the many variants. I know that there are several thousand, but, choosing that one special font that could be head-and-shoulders above the rest and could well make your book, and particularly your cover, stand out from the others.

    That last comment about the cover is particularly important for your ebook to help it stand out from so much competition it will find on the internet.

    Then, once you have decided on your font, you can begin worrying about other things like relevance, impact, and alignment. :-)
  • I like Arial and Tahoma. sized 12 and 14
  • I use 14 point calibri. However all the below mentioned fonts are acceptable and shouldnt affect you client in any way
  • nice one guys.. this is good information for everyone..
    • [1] reply
    • I use Times New Roman style
  • Did anyone try Palatino font?
  • I think Georgia Font is good. I think Eben Pagan said the same thing.
  • Tahoma or Verdana are my favorites to use I also like Palatino depending on the contents subject
  • I like to use Wingdings.
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    • Sometimes I like to use Lucinda Sans just to take a break from Verdana, Tahoma,...:p
  • Banned
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  • use google fonts

    or check out myriad pro
  • Tahoma and Verdana are the easiest to read on a computer screen. So, generally, I would use those.
    However, uniqueness can be powerful. Experiment with other fonts and sizes, and even mix up fonts between titles and bodies, until you find something easy to read and very stylish.
  • Banned
    Already you've gotten my answer, Verdana 14, Arial 12 fonts look best on the screen. Tahoma is not my choice.
  • Tahoma and Arial are my choice fonts. Dont make the size too large or flashy that make it appear as a scam.
  • I would recommend you Times New Roman with font size 11or 12 and for Headings 14.
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  • Calibra 16pt
  • Helvetica regural size 12 or Verdana would be great

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