{"id":507,"date":"2024-07-25T13:42:47","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T17:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/a11yondemand\/?post_type=chapter&p=507"},"modified":"2025-05-20T13:05:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T17:05:16","slug":"fonts-2","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/a11yondemand\/chapter\/fonts-2\/","title":{"raw":"Accessible Fonts and Colour","rendered":"Accessible Fonts and Colour"},"content":{"raw":"\"\"Choosing more readable fonts benefits all viewers and readers but can be essential for those with sight or reading impairments. Prefer sans-serif fonts in size 20 or larger for PowerPoint content.\r\n\r\nColour contrast is expressed as a ratio of the difference in saturation, brightness, and pigment of different elements relative to one another. To be accessible and inclusive, font colour must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1[footnote]The requirement reduces to 3:1 for large (size 18 point or larger or 14 point or larger and bold) fonts[\/footnote] against background colours.\r\n

Who accessible font and colour benefits<\/h2>\r\n

Font<\/h3>\r\nFor people with low-vision or dyslexia, good font choices can make content easier to read.\u00a0The animation below shows what dyslexia may<\/em> look like to some individuals. Accessible font choices can minimize the effect.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2292\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"873\"]\"\" Dyslexia \"simulation\" animation.[\/caption]\r\n

Consult footnote[footnote]<\/p>\r\n\"Dyslexia<\/strong>, previously known as\u00a0word blindness<\/strong>, is a\u00a0learning disability ('learning difficulty' in the UK) that affects either reading or writing.\r\n\r\nDifferent people are affected to different degrees.<\/sup>\u00a0Problems may include difficulties in\u00a0spelling\u00a0words, reading quickly,\u00a0writing words, \"sounding out\" words\u00a0in the head, pronouncing words when reading aloud and understanding what one reads.\u00a0Often these difficulties are first noticed at school.<\/sup>\u00a0The difficulties are involuntary, and people with this disorder have a normal desire to\u00a0learn.\"\r\n\r\nDyslexia - Wikipedia<\/a>\r\n\r\n\u201cThe one argument for accessibility that doesn\u2019t get made nearly often enough is how extraordinarily better it makes some people\u2019s lives. How many opportunities do we have to dramatically improve people\u2019s lives just by doing our job a little better?\u201d<\/strong>\r\n\r\nSteve Krug,\u00a0Don\u2019t Make Me Think, Revisited<\/a><\/em>\r\n\r\n[\/footnote] for an unmodified version of this text.\r\n

Colour<\/h3>\r\nAccessible colour is essential for readers that are colour blind[footnote]Colour Blind Awareness, \"About Colour Blindness<\/a>\"[\/footnote] and users with low vision, but good colour practice benefits users printing in black and white, viewing in the sun with screen glare, using custom contrast settings, or experiencing other vision impairments. Learn more about accessible colour use<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThe following video demonstrates why colour contrast and use of colour is important.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/mediaspace.langara.ca\/media\/t\/0_qg5g2hpz\r\n

How to ensure accessible font and colour use<\/h2>\r\n

Font Size<\/h3>\r\nOn the\u00a0Home<\/strong> tab choose Font<\/strong> and\u00a0Font size<\/strong> using the menus in the Font group of the Home tab.\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\nEnsure fonts are size 20-24 minimum (slide numbers and footnotes are exceptions but should be at least 12 point). Learn more about changing the font size<\/a> in PowerPoint.\r\n\r\nIf you find increasing the font size makes a slide overcrowded, move some content to a new slide. Having negative space on slides is an excellent design choice.\r\n\r\nConsider your audience. If you wear glasses take them off and view your slides. If presenting in a lecture theatre view your presentation from the back of the room. If using a projector take note of how lighting or the sun could make your slides more difficult to see.\r\n

Font Style<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_700\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"406\"]\"\" Illustration highlighting the different between font styles with circles indicating the absence of ticks on sans-serif fonts and the ticks on serif fonts.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAvoid overly decorative fonts and exaggerated serifs. Serifs\u2014the small ticks and lines at the end of a character stroke\u2014can bleed together for some readers, making it harder for them to differentiate between characters and read content. Generally sans-serif fonts like Aptos, Calibri, Franklin Gothic, Helvetica, Monserrat, Open Sans, and Verdana are considered more readable and accessible. When needing a serif font, prefer simple serifs like Sitka, Times New Roman, or Cambria.\r\n

Font Colour<\/h3>\r\n\"\"To change font colours, select the text and on the Home <\/strong>tab open the Font Color\u00a0<\/strong>menu. Click on your desired colour.\r\n\r\nBest practice is to use dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds.\r\n\r\nIf using branded colours, build a grid of your colours with Eightshapes Contrast Grid<\/a> to see what combinations are accessible.\r\n\r\nPowerPoint's Font Color<\/strong> menu can filter to show high-contrast colours only. However, this feature only works on coloured shapes and shaded table cells, not against slide backgrounds.\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n
<\/div>\r\nFor more information, read change the color of text on a slide<\/a> from Microsoft Support.\r\n\r\nInstead of changing the font colour, you could change the background colour of your slide, the textbox or table cell.\r\n\r\nTo change the slide background color:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Move to the Design\u00a0<\/strong>tab.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Select\u00a0Format Background.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Choose a colour in the color picker menu.\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. Verify appropriate colour contrast using an external tool like the WebAIM Contrast Checker<\/a> or Colour Contrast Analyzer<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. To apply the new colour to all slides, select\u00a0Apply to all.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
      \r\n
      \r\n\r\nTo change a shape background colour:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. On the slide select the textbox.<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Move to the\u00a0Shape Format\u00a0<\/strong>tab.<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. Expand the\u00a0Shape Fill<\/strong> menu and choose a colour.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
        \r\n\r\nTo change cell shading colour:\r\n
          \r\n \t
        1. Select the table cell(s) on the slide.<\/li>\r\n \t
        2. Move to the\u00a0Table Design<\/strong> tab.<\/li>\r\n \t
        3. Open the\u00a0Shading<\/strong> menu and choose a colour.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn addition to ensuring text has sufficient contrast, it is essential that colour is not used alone to make a distinction, a comparison, or to emphasize information. Use colour plus a text or symbol indicator.\r\n\r\nMinor changes to font size, style, or colour can be made on slides. However, customization of the slide master<\/a> will make changes to all slides and is a more efficient way to ensure consistent style.\r\n

          Double Check<\/h2>\r\nAs the Check Accessibility tool does not examine fonts, manual checks are required. Use:\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • Sans-serif fonts<\/li>\r\n \t
          • With a font size of 20 or larger<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nPowerPoint's default font choices are accessible; however, some themes may not have accessible fonts. If you want to change the font and colour for all of your slides, it's best to make changes to the slide master<\/a>.\r\n\r\nPowerPoint's Check Accessibility tool will show Hard-to-read text contrast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>as a warning. However, PowerPoint only checks shaded textboxes and table cells with coloured shading. PowerPoint does not analyze font colour against slide background, even if the slide background is a solid colour. To ensure fully accessible colour, some manual checks are required.\r\n\r\n\"\"One option is to simulate black and white by navigating to the View<\/strong> tab and selecting Grayscale\u00a0<\/strong>in the Color\/Grayscale group. Ensure no information is lost and that text is easy to read.\r\n\r\nFor a more robust check, compare colours using the WebAim Contrast Checker<\/a> to determine exact contrast ratio. Remember, 4.5:1 is the minimum ratio.\r\n
            <\/div>\r\n
            \r\n

            Next<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

            \r\n\r\nMove to the next page to understand\u00a0Titles<\/strong> or select another accessibility practice to learn about<\/a>.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

            \"\"Choosing more readable fonts benefits all viewers and readers but can be essential for those with sight or reading impairments. Prefer sans-serif fonts in size 20 or larger for PowerPoint content.<\/p>\n

            Colour contrast is expressed as a ratio of the difference in saturation, brightness, and pigment of different elements relative to one another. To be accessible and inclusive, font colour must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1[1]<\/sup><\/a> against background colours.<\/p>\n

            Who accessible font and colour benefits<\/h2>\n

            Font<\/h3>\n

            For people with low-vision or dyslexia, good font choices can make content easier to read.\u00a0The animation below shows what dyslexia may<\/em> look like to some individuals. Accessible font choices can minimize the effect.<\/p>\n

            \"\"
            Dyslexia “simulation” animation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

            Consult footnote[2]<\/sup><\/a> for an unmodified version of this text.<\/p>\n

            Colour<\/h3>\n

            Accessible colour is essential for readers that are colour blind[3]<\/sup><\/a> and users with low vision, but good colour practice benefits users printing in black and white, viewing in the sun with screen glare, using custom contrast settings, or experiencing other vision impairments. Learn more about accessible colour use<\/a>.<\/p>\n

            The following video demonstrates why colour contrast and use of colour is important.<\/p>\n