You’ve slaved over writing your content. You’ve found terrific images to complement your work. But somehow, it all looks cluttered and hard to read. Why aren’t you done yet? It might be that something is still missing–and you want to keep it that way. What you need in your design is white space, the empty space surrounding your words and pictures. The use of white space in graphic design sets the readability and tone for your page, and creates lasting impressions.
What Is White Space?
White space is the area between design elements, or within individual design elements such as letters. White space does not actually have to be white, but can be part of a colored background as well. There are several types of white space:
Macro
Macro white space is the space between or around major elements of a page, such as the space to the sides of a column of text, or the space separating images.
Micro
Micro white space is the area between individual elements, such as the space between letters, words, or paragraphs. Micro space determines the readability of your text.
Active
Active white space is used to create the structure of the page. It leads the user from one design element to another.
Passive
Passive white space includes the areas in between and around elements which do not actively guide the user, but contribute to the overall look and feeling of the design.
5 Reasons To Add White Space In Graphic Design
1. Declutter The Page
An advertisement or website with well-designed whitespace looks modern and clean, not cluttered. Picture how whitespace is used on the internet’s most popular webpage, www.google.com.
2. Direct The Reader’s Focus
You can use white space to lead the reader’s focus and emphasize features of your page. Add spacing between paragraphs to create a cleaner look, set a block of text by itself for emphasis, or arrange your photos so that each one stands out and the reader’s eyes can easily move between them.
3. Make Text More Legible
Think about micro white space when designing your text layout. Choosing the right font, the right letter spacing, and the right amount of space between paragraphs helps make your material easy to read.
4. Adapt For Small Screens
As people shift to mobile devices for their web browsing, it’s becoming even more important to use minimalism in web design. Reducing content and increasing whitespace on your website will help users read it on their phones.
5. Set Your Tone
The way you use whitespace in advertising sets the tone of your design and your product. Adding whitespace to your ad creates the impression of sophistication and luxury.
Create Your Final Document
When you’ve put a lot of work into creating your content, you want your reader to get as much out of it as possible. Adding white space takes your work from a draft to a finished, attractive product.
Let us show you how creating white space in your graphic design will make it more attractive, lead your readers to the right information, and set the tone you want your readers to take away. We’ll give your product a truly professional look.