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6. Text

Content: Font, Emphasis, Hyperlinks.

6.1 Font

The font should be sans serif, for example Arial or Helvetica, and neither too bold nor too thin.

Further information

What does this mean?
It is advisable to choose a sans-serif font that is neither too bold nor too thin in order to ensure optimum readability. The main aim is to make individual letters and words easy to recognise and distinguish.

Serifs are small decorative elements or lines attached to the ends of letters. Sans-serif fonts have clear, smooth lines and appear more modern and plain than serif fonts.

It is important that the stroke width of fonts is between 10% and 20% of the x-height in order to ensure sufficient contrast. Sans-serif typefaces with only slight differences in stroke thickness are particularly suitable and generally correspond to the font weights Normal or Regular. Light and bold font weights, as well as typefaces with a high contrast in stroke thickness, should be avoided, especially when used for the entire text.

Why is this important?
Sans-serif fonts are easier to read, particularly for people who have difficulty following the flow of a text or recognising and reading it. Serif fonts, for example Times New Roman, can make letters appear to blur into one another or become harder to read for some people, because the serifs create greater variation in letter shapes. In addition, fonts that are too thin or too bold can impair readability, especially for people with visual impairments.

How can you implement/check this?
When selecting fonts that are suitable for readers with visual impairments, you should consider recognisability, distinguishability, the openness of characters, and low stroke contrast. Different font classifications and design principles can influence these factors. Recommended fonts therefore include: Arial, Calibri Regular, Helvetica, Lucida Sans Regular, Verdana Regular, Noto Sans Regular, Open Sans Regular, Source Sans Pro Regular, and Fira Sans Regular.

You can set a sans-serif font as follows:

  1. Select the text or cell in which you want to change the font.
  2. Click the Home tab in the ribbon.
  3. Select a sans-serif font from the font drop-down menu.

6.2 Emphasis

Emphasis using capital letters, italics, bold, underlining, or text effects such as gradient fills, glow effects, or text outlines should be used sparingly.

Further information

What does this mean?
Highlighting text by using capital letters or text effects such as colour gradients, glow effects, or text outlines should be used sparingly. In addition to capital letters, such emphasis can also include italic text, bold text, underlined text, and text effects such as shadows, soft edges, reflections, or a glowing appearance. These forms of emphasis should be limited to individual words at most so as not to disrupt the reading flow and to maintain a clear structure. It is also important to ensure that the font is sans serif and neither too bold nor too thin, as described in section 6.1.

Why is this important?
Emphasis created through capital letters or eye-catching text effects can disrupt the flow of reading and impair the readability of the text. For example, if important information is marked using various effects such as glow effects, colour gradients, and other forms of emphasis, this can distract readers from the actual content. However, a clear structure and good readability are particularly important for readers who have difficulty following the flow of text or recognising and reading it. In addition, too many effects and highlights can be overstimulating.

How can you implement/check this?
To check the text for excessive emphasis, proceed as follows:

  1. Review your worksheet.
  2. Look for cells that have been emphasised using formatting such as bold, italics, or coloured highlighting.
  3. Consider whether the formatting used actually adds value to the understanding of the content.
  4. If in doubt, remove the formatting via the menu by selecting the text and clicking the relevant formatting option again in the Font group.

6.3 Hyperlinks

URLs should not appear as plain text. Instead, hyperlinks should be inserted, clearly labelled, and easy to understand.

Further information

What does this mean?
A URL, commonly referred to as an internet address or web address, should not simply be copied into body text. Instead, the URL should be embedded using a hyperlink. The hyperlink should be given a meaningful and easy-to-understand title.

It is also important that links are not labelled here, this link, or more information. Such labels do not indicate what information is being referred to or where it can be found.

Why is this important?
Clear and precise labelling of hyperlinks is very important for accessibility. If a URL is not replaced by a hyperlink, screen readers and text-to-speech software will read out the entire URL, beginning with http. This can be very frustrating for screen reader users if the purpose of the link is unclear and the full URL is read aloud instead. As a result, both the use of the document and access to the linked website may be significantly impaired.

How can you implement/check this?
There are different ways to convert URLs into hyperlinks depending on whether you are using Mac or Windows.

Mac

  1. Open the search function by pressing CMD+F.
  2. Enter http or www in the search field to find URLs in the file.
  3. Press the ENTER key to navigate to the URL.
  4. If there is a URL in the Excel file, you should convert it into a hyperlink.
  5. Right-click the link.
  6. Select the Link option from the context menu. A dialogue box will open.
  7. Under Display text, enter a clear and easy-to-understand label for the URL, for example Consulate homepage.
  8. Enter the link under Address.
  9. Click OK to confirm the action.

Windows

  1. Open the search function in Excel by pressing CTRL+F.
  2. Enter http, www, or a similar term in the search field.
  3. Under the Results tab, all URLs that appear as plain text in the file will be displayed.
  4. Click one of the displayed URLs to navigate to it.
  5. If the URL appears within body text, you should convert it into a hyperlink.
  6. Select the entire URL and click the Insert tab.
  7. Select the Link button in the Links group.
  8. A dialogue box will open. Under Display text, enter a clear and easy-to-understand label for the URL, for example Consulate homepage.
  9. Enter the link under Address and click OK to save the change.
  10. You can check the hyperlink by holding down the CTRL key and clicking the link to make sure it leads to the intended destination.

 

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