Academy / Design posts that stop the scroll
Lesson 2 of 5 · 5 min
Text people can read at a glance
Most people see your post on a phone, often outside, while walking. Words that look fine on a big screen at your desk can be too small or too faint there.
Big enough
- The headline should be readable with the phone at arm's length. On a square or 4:5 post, that is about a tenth of the page's height.
- Small text is for details only, like a website or a date. If it matters, make it bigger or move it to the caption.
- Design warns you when text is too small: before you save, Check before you save lists "Some text is too small to read" with a Fix button.
Strong contrast
Dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark one. Gray on beige, or yellow on white, looks soft on your screen and vanishes on a phone in the sun.
To check: click the text, open its color, and look at the colors In this design. Pick the one furthest from the background.
Text over a photo
A photo is light in some places and dark in others, so text over it is hard to read. Three ways to fix it:
- Make the photo darker. Click the photo, open Adjust and lower Brightness until white text reads easily.
- Put a shape behind the text. Add a box from Shapes, place it behind the words, and lower its Transparency so the photo still shows through.
- Move the text to the calm part of the photo, like the sky, a wall or the table.
Fewer fonts
Use one font for headlines and one for the rest. Your brand kit sets both, and the next lesson shows how to use them everywhere.
Quick check · 3 questions
Check what stuck
White text sits on a bright photo and is hard to read. What is the quickest fix?
Show the answer
Lower the photo's Brightness under Adjust. A darker photo makes white text stand out. A shape behind the words works too.
Where will most people see your post?
Show the answer
On a phone, often outside. Check that the headline reads at arm's length on a phone.
Design says "Some text is too small to read". What do you do?
Show the answer
Press Fix, or make the text bigger, or move it to the caption. Small text that matters is lost on a phone. Fix it or move it to the caption.
In this course
- 1One message per postWhy a post with one message stops more people than a post with five, how to pick the one, and how to make it the biggest thing on the page. · 4 min
- 2Text people can read at a glanceSize, contrast and photos behind text. How to make words readable on a phone, and what Design checks for you before you save. · 5 min
- 3Your brand on every pageSet your colors, fonts and logo once, then put them on any template in one click, and try new looks that stay yours. · 4 min
- 4Photos that fitPick a photo that tells the story, drop it where it belongs, and crop it so the important part shows, in a box, a circle or across the page. · 5 min
- 5Make it moveSmall movement catches the eye in a feed. Turn a design into a short video, animate the headline word by word, and let a number count up. · 5 min