Newsletter, bulletin design tips

Once the exclusive domain of books, you can now find tips on design of newsletters and bulletins on the Web. Here are some tips and related sources:

• AVOID ALL CAPITALS. It's old typewriter and teletype habits and now considered "shouting". Plus all caps slow down reading speed.
• Avoid blocks of bolded text. They slow down reading speed.
• Use only single spaces between sentences. Two spaces is an old, typewriter-based habit. We use proportional fonts these days, unlike the typewriter.
• Use true dashes, not hyphens.
• Reserve underlines for hyperlinks. Don't underline headlines, subheads, or publication titles.
• Place quote marks correctly.
• Use serif fonts for text, sans serif for headlines and subheads. Serif fonts are easier to read in blocks of text. Using sans serif for headlines and subheads helps visually separate them from text elements on a page. It makes the page easier to scan.
• Use proper line spacing. Don't just add empty paragraphs – extra presses of the Enter key.
• Avoid rivers of white. Make effective use of white space. Look at your design critically – what's critical and what's really just "noise"? Remove the noise.