Online, like in print, line length is crucial.
If you are in the process of creating or redesigning a website or blog, one consideration you’ll face is how many columns to use for your web pages. Part of your decision making process will be based on how wide you want your main content text. In other words, what line length should you use?
What line length do readers like best for online reading? What length helps them comprehend the information easier? What line length can they read fastest? Do they like short lined text like you find in newspapers – about 35 characters per line (cpl)? Or, do readers favor longer lined text of 95 cpl? Or, somewhere in between? And, should you even care?
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer. Many studies have been conducted to answer this question, but there doesn’t seem to be too much agreement based on the results of the studies. A fairly recent study by Wichita State University, entitled, “The Effects of Line Length on Online News,” provides some interesting insights for line length and reader pace, comprehension and preference.
Overall, the longer line lengths (95 cpl) can be read faster by readers. Comprehension is about the same across different line lengths. And reader efficiency (pace x comprehension) is better for the 95 cpl.
Another study, suggests margins have some impact as well.
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