Computer Editing: Saying a Lot With a Little

First impressions are everything. This applies to video productions, too, where titles are the first thing the viewer sees. Titles that bleed, blur or smear are difficult to read and that turns viewers off.

Perhaps Kim Davis, broadcast specialist for university communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says it best: "If your viewer has to strain to read the text, the message is lost."

Therefore, it's all the more important to make sure your titles are clear, legible, and, most of all, make a good first impression. We asked three experts for their advice on the best way to make your titles stand out.

Fonts: Plain is Perfect
When you choose fonts for titles, plainer is better. Sans serif fonts such as Arial, Helvetica and Swiss are usually easiest to read, says Jeff Bienenfeld, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Discus Data Solutions Inc., in New York. Bienenfeld said that serifs, or the small lines and flourishes at the ends of letters in the text of this article, can blur on a television, rendering them illegible.

When selecting fonts, watch out for extreme weight changes in characters, or characters that are made up of both thick and thin lines. Avoid fonts with textured edges, says William Lebeda, creative director at The Picture Mill, where he creates titles for movies and television.

"Fonts that have finely textured edges tend to look ratty, rather than textured, at small sizes," he said.