Perfect Line Length for Better Readability
TL;DR:
- Keep body text between 50-75 characters per line for best readability
- Lines that are too long make it hard to track from one line to the next
- Lines that are too short break up content and hurt reading flow
- Getting this right improves both readability and visual appeal
- Test your text on different devices to make sure it works everywhere
Getting line length right makes a huge difference to how people read your content. Most websites get this wrong, but it's one of the easiest wins for better user experience.
Why Line Length Actually Matters
When lines are too long, readers struggle to find the start of the next line. Their eyes get lost, they lose their place, and they give up reading. You've probably experienced this yourself on sites with text that stretches right across the screen.
When lines are too short, the opposite happens. The text gets chopped up into tiny fragments that feel jerky to read. Your brain has to work harder to piece the meaning together.
The sweet spot sits between 50-75 characters per line. This range gives readers enough text to get into a rhythm, without making their eyes work too hard to track back to the start of each new line.
Getting Your Line Length Right
Count your characters
Pick a typical paragraph on your site and count the characters in a few lines. Include spaces and punctuation in your count. If you're consistently over 75 characters or under 50, you need to make changes.
Adjust your layout
You can control line length through your column width, font size, or container settings. Narrower columns give you shorter lines. Larger fonts also mean fewer characters fit on each line.
Test on real devices
What looks perfect on your desktop might be terrible on mobile. Check your line lengths on phones, tablets, and different screen sizes. The 50-75 character range should work across all devices, but always verify.
Consider your content type
Dense, technical content works better with shorter lines (closer to 50 characters). Casual blog posts can handle longer lines (up to 75 characters). Match your line length to how your audience reads.
Common Line Length Mistakes
Many sites make their text containers too wide, especially on desktop. Just because you have screen space doesn't mean you should use all of it for text.
Another mistake is not adjusting line length for different screen sizes. Your mobile text might be perfect, but completely unreadable on larger screens.
Some designers worry that shorter lines waste space or look unbalanced. But readable text always trumps using every pixel of screen space.
FAQs
What's the exact character count I should aim for?
Between 50-75 characters including spaces and punctuation. Start with 65 characters as your target and adjust from there.
Do I need to count characters for every single line?
No, check a few representative lines from typical paragraphs. The character count will vary slightly line to line, but the average should fall in your target range.
Does this apply to headings and captions too?
The 50-75 rule mainly applies to body text that people read in paragraphs. Headings, captions, and other short text elements have different rules.
How do I control line length in my website builder?
Most platforms let you adjust column width, container width, or text area width. Reducing these will shorten your lines. You can also increase font size to fit fewer characters per line.
Jargon Buster
Line Length: The number of characters (including spaces) that fit on one line of text before wrapping to the next line.
Character Count: The total number of letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation marks in a line of text.
Text Container: The invisible box that holds your text content and determines how wide your lines can be.
Responsive Design: Making sure your website looks and works well on different screen sizes and devices.
Wrap-up
Line length is one of those details that most people never notice when it's right, but immediately feel when it's wrong. Stick to 50-75 characters per line for body text, test on different devices, and adjust your layout to make reading comfortable.
Your visitors will spend more time reading your content when it's easy on their eyes. That's good for engagement, good for conversions, and good for keeping people on your site longer.
Ready to improve your website's readability and user experience? Join Pixelhaze Academy for more practical web design tips that actually work.