Why Your Body Text Probably Needs to Be Bigger Than You Think

Most designers set body text too small. Once you understand how reading distance, screen resolution, and line length interact, the case for larger type becomes hard to ignore.

The standard recommendation of 16px body text dates from an era of lower-resolution screens and narrower viewports. On a modern display, 16px can feel cramped — particularly for long-form reading where sustained comfort matters more than information density.

Consider the variables: a laptop screen is typically viewed at 50-65cm. A phone at 25-35cm. A desktop monitor at 60-80cm. The optimal type size varies significantly across these distances, yet most designs use a single value.

The fix is straightforward: start at 18-20px for body text on desktop, scale proportionally for other devices, and test with real content rather than lorem ipsum. Your readers will thank you.