: What should a (technical) writer know about graphic design? I'm starting out as a technical writer, and want to present my written material as best as possible to the customers. Are there any

@Lengel450

I think I've recommended this site before and I'll do it again: Typography for Lawyers. Lawyers write a ton, and this site is a no-frills introduction to typography and how to make legal documents easier to read and more professional looking. The author understands that while lawyers care about these things, they're not looking to become designers either, so the lessons are relevant and to-the-point. I would imagine there would be plenty of crossover for you.

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@Jennifer810

Your best bets would be "The Non-Designer's Design & Type Books" by Robin Williams, and "Before&After, Graphics for Business" by John McWade (in that order). They cover the mistakes, but also the core principles you should keep in mind while you work.

Both are very approachable, well-written, simple and full of the kind of excellent design wisdom that you need as a technical writer. They are also application-agnostic, so the information is applicable to any platform you might find yourself working with.

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@Vandalay110

I'll throw a few tips out:


Ample margins
Don't double emphasize (bold italic underline exclamation point! Don't do it!)
Single line space between paragraphs OR indent first line
Look for ways to align things on the page.
If something starts at 1" from left, look for ways to use this mark to set other things. This is a very loose form of "THE GRID"
Use The Grid
Use a single typeface. One.
Less is more. Avoid staffage, squares, doodads and blinkers.


All rules are meant to be broken. But break when needed,
not for the sake of breaking.

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@Kaufman565

Mistake no. #1 : Writers doing their own graphic design.

just kidding ... not really ... :P

What you are looking for is called typography. Have a read through the manual Typography for Writers. It’s pretty good and short (something like “the 10 things you want to know about typography as a writer”). And Technical Writing: Features & Conventions looks interesting.

Also try searching for “typography for technical writing” and “typography for writers”. I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff out there. :)

Good luck!

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