Perfect Font Size for large print font size books? & Digital Books : A Complete Guide

Generally speaking, large print font size is a font big enough to promote easier reading ability for those visually impaired or who have difficulty seeing smaller print. Large size letters improve the chances of better readability of the letters giving them a clearer shape and perhaps a minor strain on the eyes. Large print is used widely in print media, documents, labels, and signage for the benefit of persons with low vision or age-related vision changes like macular degeneration.

Large print fonts exist in many styles and capacities unique to an advantage that has to do with the context of reading and specific needs of that reader. Read more about various styles of the large-print font sizes and where they are generally used:

16–18 pt Font Size (Medium Large Print)

Where to Use:

• Books: For general reading, especially for some with weaker sight.
• Documents: For forms and manuals or printed material meant for low-vision people.
• Public Signs: In places such as libraries or medical offices or any public place functional for some who may need extra readability.

This size is most suited for those who don’t need huge print but want a comfortable size.

20–24 pt Font Size (Large Print)

Where to Use:

• Books: Mostly apply to storybooks or texts in large print editions for individuals with moderately impaired vision.
• Menus: For restaurants for persons who may have difficulty reading smaller text.
• Calendars and planners: To facilitate reading those important dates and times.
• Signage: For public display, like in schools, libraries or hospitals.

This size is primarily intended for persons with moderate vision impairment but serves well for general everyday use.

28–36 pt Font Size (Very Large Print)

Where to Use:

• Books for Severe Visual Impairments: Specialized reads or educational material for the person with extremely profound vision loss.
• Posters: Public service announcement, event flyer, or caution notices that must be distant visible.
• Instructions or warnings: Text that requires immediate clarification such as safety signs, emergency exits, or important notices within public building.

For very middle to large-sized prints, it is worth more for severely vision-impaired individuals or those having difficulty seeing standard large print.

Custom Large Print Font Sizes (Over 36 pt)

Where to Use:

• Large Display Monitors: to display in larger monitors on web pages or documents displayed in grand stands during events and conferences.
• Tactile Signs: the combination of braille to text or raised fonts being read by the visually impaired.
• Labels and Tags: Items such as medication bottles or instructions need to be clearly read at far-off distances or a person with very low vision.

Custom font sizes are used in very particular circumstances that require high visibility, where persons may have severe vision loss or be using assistive technologies.

Font Styles for Large Print

• Sans-serif fonts (for instance, Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri,) are encouraged owing to their clean lines and overall enhanced availability.
• Serif fonts (for instance, Times New Roman) can be useful for certain people, although for some with visual disorders, they may be less available due to their decorative style.
• Bolded Text can also help with clarity.

When to Use Large Print Fonts

• Reading materials for people with low vision (books, magazines, etc.).
• Public signage for accessibility within sites such as government buildings, hospitals, or schools.
• Daily living items, such as instructions for medication, appliances, and grocery store labels.
• Digital platforms for users needing text that is easier to read on computers or mobile devices.

Basic thing to keep in mind is that the size of the font used and the style chosen must be able to cater for the needs of the reader, whether for personal or public use.

Different font sizes are incorporated in large print books for various degrees of vision impairment. Here’s a more elaborate breakdown of commonly used font sizes in large print books.

14 pt Font Size (Small Large Print)

• Where to Use: meant for people with very mild vision problems, who see slightly better with what they consider slightly larger print than a standard size (generally 12 pt).
• Common Examples: General books, novels and, non-fiction titles catering to people with minor vision difficulties.

16 pt Font Size (Medium Large Print)

• Where to Use: this is amongst the most-used sizes in large print editions. The perfect midpoint for a moderate-low vision customer.
• Common Examples: Fiction and nonfiction titles, including memoirs, self-help books, and educational texts. Normally, it is basically found on libraries and bookstores primarily for those interested in reading up on large print but not exactly for persons whose vision impairment is quite severe.

18 pt Font Size (Large Print)

• Where to Use: For people who fall between moderate vision impairment or extreme vision impairment but still want their print to fall more towards easy-to-read script at most times.
• Common Examples: Popular novels, educational books, cookbooks, or other general reading materials.

20 pt Font Size (Extra Large Print)

• Where to Use: Most suited for severely visually impaired people, assuring comfortable reading.
• Most Common Examples: Novels, biographies, and educational texts; mostly from libraries or for personal use by persons with moderate to severe vision impairment.

24 pt Font Size (Very Large Print)

• Where to Use: Intended for people with very low eyesight, requiring large, simply-read-type text.
• Common Examples: For readers with greater loss of vision. Some large print editions of popular fiction or nonfiction titles might use this size in order to maximize accessibility.

28 pt Font Size (Super Large Print)

• Where to Use: Made for people severely sight-impaired. Being bigger allows reading from farther and relieves some stress from the eye.
• Common Examples: Very specialized reading material usually meant for the elderly and possibly the severely blind or visually impaired.

36 pt Font Size (Ultra Large Print)

• Where to Use: Largest possible font size available; should deliver maximum legibility for those who have almost no sight left.
• Common Examples: Highly-specialized resources, i.e., books for severely vision-impaired persons or reading aids in classroom. Some tactile books might occasionally use it along with braille.

48 pt Font Size and Above (Gigantic Print)

• Where to Use: For people severely impaired in vision, around the threshold of being nearly blind. This size is not generally used for the whole books but is rather reserved for certain readers’ materials where hindsight prescribes maximum visibility such as instructions, signages, etc., or very large print versions of the books meant for the blind or for individuals with very low vision.
• Common Examples: large posters, charts, teaching aids or high print specialized books for the educational or personal use.

Font Type Consideration:

• Sans serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica, Verdana) are excellent for large print books because of their relatively simple and clean lines, which makes reading easier.
• Serif fonts (Times New Roman, Georgia) can also be used, but may not be very effective when used in enormous sizes due to their decorative strokes.

Things to Keep in Mind:

• While printing larger fonts, some adjustment in the layouts and line spacing should be made to avoid crampness experiences.
• Usually as the number increases, in most cases the number of text, printed, decreases per page, thus making the whole book heavier and cumbersome to carry about.

Thus, one could procure big print books with dimensions anywhere from moderately large 16 pt to ultra-large 48 pt and above depending on the requirement of the potential reader.

When making a book for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), font choice and size are paramount with respect to readability and accessibility. Here are the best practice recommendations:

Best Font Choices for Amazon KDP Books:

1. Serif Fonts (for Print Books)
   Serif fonts are generally recommended for printed books because they tend to be easier on the eyes for long-form reading. Common serif fonts include:
   • Times New Roman (classic and widely used)
   • Georgia (more modern than Times New Roman but still very readable)
   • Garamond (elegant and highly readable, often used for literary books)
2. Sans-Serif Fonts (for Kindle eBooks)
   Sans-serif fonts are often preferred for digital reading because they are clear and readable on screens. Examples include:
   • Arial (clean and simple, works well for both print and digital)
   • Verdana (widely used for digital content due to its clarity on screens)
   • Helvetica (another clean option for digital readability)
3. Special Fonts for Print (Optional)
   • Book Antiqua (a popular font for print books, giving an elegant but readable style)
   • Palatino Linotype (also a good choice for readability in print)

Best Font Size for Amazon KDP Books:

For Print Books:

• Main Body Text:
  The standard font size for body text in print books is usually 11–12 pt. For comfortable reading, 12 pt is often ideal.
  • Recommended:
    • 11–12 pt for standard books (fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, etc.).
    • 13 pt may work well for older readers or those with slight visual impairments.
• Chapter Titles:
  • 14–18 pt is a good range for chapter titles, depending on the book’s design.
• Headings/Subheadings:
  • Bold with a size of 14–16 pt for subheadings and sections to ensure hierarchy and clarity.

For Kindle eBooks (Digital Version):

• Kindle allows users to change font size; the default settings works well the standard goes:
  • Font Size: Usually, Kindle devices default from 10 to 12 pt, but the body text should look nice at this font size.
  • Line Spacing: For eBooks, line spacing can be around 1.5 lines in order not to get cramped text in case it is displayed on smaller screens.
  • Text Justification: Most e-book readers want left-aligned text (not fully justified) to match their different screen sizes.

Key Factors in Kindle eBooks:

• Responsive Design: Kindle books are responsive in the sense that readers adjust to the size of the screen. This means the font size can be adjusted from the reader’s preference. Font type, however, plays an important role for the overall readability.
• Avoid Decorative Fonts: Cursive fonts or so-called decorative fonts seem pretty but are very difficult to read, more so on small screens or by persons with visual impairment.

Overall Recommendations for Amazon KDP:

1. Print Version:
   • Font: Times New Roman or Georgia (Serif) for traditional reading experience.
   • Size: 11–12 pt for body text, 14–18 pt for chapter titles, and 16 pt for headings/subheadings.
2. eBook Version:
   • Font: Arial or Georgia (Sans-Serif for digital clarity).
   • Size: 10–12 pt for body text, with line spacing of 1.5.

Additional Tips:

• Margins: Keep margins wide enough to avoid any slant on printing; preferably between 0.75 to 1 inch.
• Font Consistency: Using the same style for the body text and a different one for the titles, headings, and subtitles gives a very clean and professional appearance.
• Never Go Small: Tiny letters are dreadfully hard to read for the aged or impaired.

Adhering to these font choices and sizes should keep your book clear and easy for most readers to navigate in print and digital editions.

FAQ: Large Print Font Size Books and Amazon KDP Fonts & Size

Conclusion: Font Size for Regular and Digital Books on Amazon KDP

The size of the font used will contribute significantly to the formatting of books for Amazon KDP, with respect to both paper, as well as digital format, read by people.

• For regular print books, the standard font size is typically 11–12 pt for body text, which provides a comfortable reading experience for most readers. If you’re aiming for large print books, which are designed for readers with visual impairments, you would increase the font size to 16 pt or higher, with some books reaching up to 24 pt for maximum clarity.
• For digital eBooks, especially on platforms like Kindle, the font size is adjustable by the reader, so the focus should be on ensuring your text is formatted properly for various screen sizes. While the default for Kindle devices is usually around 10–12 pt, formatting your eBook with 12 pt is often ideal for general readability, and using clear sans-serif fonts (like Arial or Georgia) is key for screen-based reading.

The font size to be used on Amazon KDP should be easily read by different types of readers, hence a good rule of thumb is about 11–12 pt for average body text in print books and 12 pt for in digital versions. For other headings and chapter titles, a size of 14–18 pt also increases the visual hierarchy within your book and guides readers.

In this sense, the correct size font should ensure that the book is well within reach of all readers in a comfortable and accessible manner, whether in print or digital device. In the same breath, one can infer that it is only by understanding how print and digital format vary that one can put into perspective the presentation of a book alongside making it interesting for a multitude of readers.