Fonts, Font Sizes, and Basic Character Formatting
10 min read Chapter 3
Learn font selection and pairing, font size guidelines, and the four elements of character formatting.
Text is the soul of a document. Mastering the proper use of fonts and font sizes is the foundation of typesetting.
3.1 Font Selection and Pairing
Font Guidelines by Document Type
| Document Type | Title Font | Body Font | Code Font |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Paper | Heiti/Helvetica | Songti/Times | Courier New |
| Business Report | Microsoft YaHei | Microsoft YaHei | Consolas |
| Resume | Microsoft YaHei | Microsoft YaHei | Arial |
| Official Doc | Heiti/FangSong | FangSong | N/A |
Font Pairing Principles
- Less is More: Use maximum 2-3 fonts in the same document
- Consistency: All headings of the same level use the same font
- Readability: Priority to Songti or Microsoft YaHei for body text
- Professionalism: Avoid overly decorative fonts
Special Font Purposes
- Times New Roman: English academic documents, formal English letters
- Arial: English business documents, presentations
- FangSong: Official documents, classical texts
3.2 Font Size Guidelines
International Standard Font Size System
| Level | Purpose | Size | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heading 1 | Largest heading | 16-18pt | Thesis title, report title |
| Heading 2 | Chapter heading | 14-16pt | Chapter 1, Project Overview |
| Heading 3 | Section heading | 12-14pt | 1.1 Concept Definition |
| Body | Main content | 10.5-12pt | Paragraph text |
| Footer/Page # | Auxiliary info | 8-9pt | Copyright, page numbers |
Recommended Scheme
- Heading 1: 16pt, bold
- Heading 2: 14pt, bold
- Heading 3: 12pt, bold or not bold
- Body: 11pt or 10.5pt, not bold
- Line spacing: 1.5x (academic) or 1.15x (business)
3.3 Four Elements of Character Formatting
| Format | Shortcut | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl+B | Emphasize headings, keywords | Important |
| Italic | Ctrl+I | Quotes, foreign text, emphasis | Note |
| Underline | Ctrl+U | Hyperlinks, emphasis | underlined |
| Strikethrough | Ctrl+Shift+X | Revisions, deleted content |
Other Advanced Character Formats
| Format | Shortcut | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Superscript | Ctrl+Shift++ | E=mc², footnote markers |
| Subscript | Ctrl+= | Chemical formulas H₂O |
Usage Principles
- Use Sparingly: Bold and italic together create visual chaos
- Clear Hierarchy: Heading > Keyword > Body
- Stay Consistent: Same content types get same formatting