Legibility

Legibility refers to the quality of typefaces, texts or visual representations that enables them to be recognised and deciphered easily and without strain. It depends on factors such as typeface, font size, line spacing, contrast between text and background, and the layout of text on a page or screen.

Legibility is key to making information accessible to everyone – particularly for people with visual impairments, cognitive limitations or reading difficulties. Good readability makes it easier to grasp content quickly and reduces cognitive load. It is an essential criterion in the design of accessible documents, websites and user interfaces.

Legibility is often used in contrast to readability: whilst legibility refers to the form of the typeface, readability describes the linguistic comprehensibility of a text.