Large print
Large print is clear, legible print designed to be read by partially sighted people with a variety of eye conditions.
The large print producers mainly work with school materials such as textbooks and readers. This material is printed onto 100gsm paper and spiral bound.
Large print books are produced in Arial and adjusted to meet individual needs. Common adjustments include the text size (18pt, 24pt or 36pt) and increased space between lines and words.
After obtaining publisher files, the text and images are extracted. Using word-processing or graphic design software, the text is formatted in line with international standards and images are inserted. Illustrations are often adapted. For example, diagrams may require larger text labels and complex tables may need dividing into several parts.
Basic principles of clear print design
- Using a simple and clear sans-serif typeface.
- Left-aligned text with a consistent, linear and logical layout.
- No large blocks of capital letters, italics or underlining.
- Good contrast between text and background - avoiding placing text over images, textures or colours which do not contrast adequately with the text.
- Appropriate adaptation of information conveyed via visually-based structure, formatting and layout in the print copy.
Learn more about other accessible formats including braille, audio, DAISY and e-text.
