Section 6 · Typography

Measure (Line Length)

Definition

The width of a column of text, traditionally described by the number of characters per line rather than a physical distance.

Why it matters

Measure governs reading comfort: lines that are too long make the eye lose its place returning to the next line, while lines too short break the rhythm of reading. It is a core decision in any layout.

Example

A widely cited comfortable range for body text is roughly 45–75 characters per line, with around 66 often taken as ideal.