The top 5 Large Print mistakes – and
some solutions
Many people believe that ‘Large Print’ transcription means
simply enlarging the print size used in a document. Not so! We summarize
some of the common mistakes made, and tell you how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Photo enlargement of standard print documents
Problem: When photo enlarged, the text of a document looses clarity,
which makes it difficult for people with visual impairments to read.
Solution: Enlarge the font of the text, before printing on a printer.
Do not photo enlarge.
Mistake 2: Colourful documents
Problem: Lots of organisations use a range of colours on their documents
to make them look attractive. However, certain colour combinations are
almost impossible for visually impaired people to read.
Solution: Use strong colour contrasts – dark text on a light background,
or light text on a dark background. Good combinations include: black
on pale yellow or cream, and white on navy blue. Bad combinations are:
yellow on white and dark green on black.
Mistake 3: Using the wrong font style and size
Problem: If the font is too small, or if certain font styles are used
it will be difficult for people with visual impairments to read
Solution: Use minimum font size 16 and use a sans serif font e.g. arial
or Tahoma. You can use bold text, but avoid italics.
Mistake 4: Use of columns
Problem: People with visual impairments may have difficulty finding
the start of columns, or may not even realise there is more than one
column on a page, particularly if there are photo’s or other images
in between columns.
Solution: Use left alignment only, and have 1 column where possible.
Do not ‘justify’ text.
Mistake 5: Use of Glossy paper
Problem: Text printed on glossy paper is more difficult to read for
people with some visually impairments because of the reflection.
Solution: Print documents on matt paper.
We hope these simple rules will help you make most of your documents
more user-friendly for your customers.
However, documents that contain tables, images and diagrams, for example,
are more complex, and there are various other rules that need to be applied.
But A2i is here to help!
A2i offer a full Large Print
Transcription Service and are happy to
provide free, no obligation quotations. Just fill in the form on our
website, or send us a copy of your document when it is ready.
We can also transcribe foreign language documents to Large
Print, and
we sell Large
Print Keyboards, and Large
Print Keyboard Sticker Sets in our Online shop.
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