Long-form layout.
WHAT MAKES A DOCUMENT READABLE
Consistent structure Clear hierarchy of headings Comfortable body text Generous margins Predictable placement of elements
WHAT STYLES DO
Apply formatting by definition rather than by hand.
WHY THEY MATTER
Manual formatting drifts, and changing it later means changing every instance.
WHAT TO DEFINE
A style for each element: heading levels, body, caption, quotation.
WHAT A GRID PROVIDES
Consistent alignment throughout.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Margins, columns and spacing, before writing.
WHAT TO NUMBER
Pages, sections, figures and tables.
WHY
Readers refer to them, and their absence makes discussion impossible.
WHAT TABLES REQUIRE
Alignment appropriate to content: text left, numbers right
Minimal rules Clear headers
WHY NUMBERS RIGHT
It aligns the digits, making magnitude comparable at a glance.
WHAT TO INCLUDE IN A LONG DOCUMENT
A contents list A summary at the start Clear section openings
WHY THE SUMMARY
Most readers read only that.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE ISSUING
That headings are consistent That figures are referenced in the text That page breaks do not orphan headings
WHAT TO EXPORT
A fixed-layout file, so it appears as intended everywhere.
