Does font size in business e-mail matter? What if you receive an e-mail where the font is much larger than normal? Or only certain words or phrases are larger?
You’ve seen me type it before and I’ll do it again — if you wouldn’t do it on business letterhead, don’t do it in business e-mail!
Any text larger than the rest of the e-mail text will be perceived as adding emphasis. Emphasis that you have no control over the level of which could prove disastrous. You can pretty much count on the other side adding more emphasis than you intended. (This goes for bolding too!)
Otherwise why would one make the font larger?
This is all about perception and trying to determine one’s intent by how they choose to communicate with their e-mail. Since it takes a manual setting change to increase the font size — folks will assume there is a reason for doing so. And if it is much larger, yes, they may take it that you mean you are raising your voice.
So keep your font size set at the default of your e-mail software program and if emphasis is your goal, choose the words the best fit your intent.
I’ve yet to run into a situation in business e-mail where making the font larger served any constructive purpose. Maybe some of my readers can share with me why and when you’ve found increasing font size to be a benefit?
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Hi, Font size does matters when dealing with visually impaired readers. Kind regards Monica
Judith,
Thank you for another wonderful article. I agree completely except I can say that I find it acceptable to increase font size if it is in a table or outline in an email. I often do this to make the headers pop out more. I’m sure there may be another reason to do it, so long as you’re doing it to make something more readable (and it’s obvious that is your intent) and not to add emphasis.
My latest font pet peeve, however, is the actual typeface. I can’t believe that people expect me to view them as a professional when they’re using comic sans or one of the cursive-based fonts. Not to mention that they will also choose to make it hot pink.
Thanks again,
Eve
Hey, Eve:
Another concern is when you increase your font size, you are also adding code in the background that could have your e-mails misidentified as spam. Wouldn’t attaching a PDF with your tables or outlines cover all the bases?
I agree with you on Comic Sans or fancy-schmancy fonts. Not only do they lend to not being perceived as professionally as one may desire, they are not as easy on the eyes and they too can increase your e-mail’s spamminess.
I’ve been e-mailing for over 16 years now and never have used any formatting — at all. Folks seem to understand my e-mails, my tone and intentions are clear.
Appreciate your comments and kind words!
Hey, Monica:
Of course it does! But that is the exception — not the rule. I am talking about day to day communications between folks that do not have special needs. With that said, if one is visually impaired they can increase font size to create their e-mail and then, as a courtesy to their recipients, put the font size back to standard for the person on the other side who is not visually impaired. And it goes without saying the reverse it also true.