One Space or Two?

Do you remember the ancient times of word processing when we used a typewriter? In those days we had only one size type that we could use at any one time. It depended on the typewriter. In later years it depended on the "element" we were using with the typewriter. These type faces were all monospace because typewriters were only capable of monospace fonts.

When using monospace fonts each letter takes up the same amout of space. Let's look at the word "Will."

Monospace font	Proportional space font
Will	Will

In the monospace font the thin letters i

When we used typewriters we needed to distinguish between the end of a sentence and the space between two words. So we needed to put two spaces after the punctuation at the end of a sentence. We did not put two spaces after a period that end an abbreviation; for example, there was only one space between the words "Mrs. Smith." The two spaces at the end of a sentence made the text easier to read.

Now we use word processors that are capable of proportional space fonts. This text was written using a proportional font. Each letter takes up a different amount of space. The W in Will is a lot wider than either the i or the l. Because we are using a proportional font, we do not need to use two spaces at the end of a sentence to make the text easier to read. As a matter of fact, two spaces at the end of a sentence does not improve the ease of reading and detracts from the appearance of the text.

Today's word processors can be set to automatically delete the extra space if you try to put two spaces after a punctuation mark. So, if you think that it will take you a long time to get use to typing only one space at the end of sentence, the word processing software will help you. Spacing is one subtle way to make your documents appear polished and professional.

Serif or sans serif?

A serif font has flouishes on each letter and numeral. Compare these two examples.

            serif                sans serif

Each of the above is 18 points. The serif font is Times New Roman. It has flourishes at the ends of each of the letter strokes. This is a very popular font and is the default for many word processors. The Times New Roman font makes blocks of text easy to read. Take a look at the font used by many newspapers and magazines. The body of an article is often in Times New Roman.

The sans serif font looks larger than the serif font but is also 18 points. This is Arial, another popular font. Note that the letters have not flourishes. The ends of each stroke are blunt. Blocks of text in a sans serif font are harder to read. Arial is most effective when used for titles or subtitles.