White Space and Underlining

White Space

White space is the space between text, graphics, images, and media included on the page. Thoughtful use of whitespace improves reading and ability to focus, as well as supporting the cognitive processing of the information.

Canvas formatting is not as precise as most print document production tools. For example a default heading in MS Word is pre-formatted to include a specific amount of white space before and after the text, and the software is designed to adjust space based on the formatting styles that follow the text. In Canvas the white space before/after paragraphs and other elements may need to be adjusted manually. 

 

Tips

  • When in doubt, it's better to add more white space, rather than less. 
  • Add a space at the bottom of Canvas Pages. This is so the content can be a bit more readable and will not run into the horizontal line at the bottom of the page.

 

Underlining Text

Do not underline headings or any text which does not function as a hypertext link. Underlining text on online pages normally serves as a visual cue that the text is linked. When it isn't linked this creates an inconsistent user experience and can create confusion.

 

References