How do you design content that people can read?
You want content that people notice and understand in a few seconds.
- For
- everyone who creates content for displays, from a single image to a full scene
- Prerequisite
- none
On this page
People look at a display for a few seconds, often from a distance. Content works when it fits the format of the display, uses large text with strong contrast, says one thing at a time, and stays on screen long enough to read.
Match the format to the display
Build every scene for the display it runs on. A landscape TV needs a scene in 16:9, a TV mounted upright needs one in 9:16 and the matching orientation on the display. Very wide surfaces from about 21:9 use the wide format, 32:9. You choose the aspect ratio when you create the scene, or enter your own with Custom ratio …. You can change it later in the editor.
A scene has an aspect ratio but no resolution. Each display shows it as sharp as its device and package allow, up to 4K. You don't choose a resolution for that.
If the format doesn't match, the display shows black bars or cuts off the edges. When you assign content, the portal shows only scenes that fit the display unless you choose Show all formats. How the TV is mounted and how the picture is fitted is set on the display, see Set up the TV for all-day use.
Make text readable from a distance
- Large text, few words. A headline and one or two lines are enough. Stand where your customers stand and check whether you can read everything in three seconds.
- Strong contrast. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark one. Avoid text over busy photos, or put a calm area behind it.
- Clear fonts. Use bold, simple fonts. Thin, decorative, or italic fonts are hard to read on a TV across the room.
- Space at the edges. Keep important content away from the edges. Some TVs crop the picture slightly, and text at the very edge is harder to read.
One message at a time
A scene that tries to say everything says nothing. Show one offer, one piece of news, or one notice per scene, and let a playlist rotate several scenes. Leave each item on screen long enough to read it twice: a short headline needs a few seconds, a menu with prices much longer. Keep loops short, because people won't wait through twenty items for the one they need.
Images and videos
- Upload images and videos in the resolution of the display, usually Full HD for landscape TVs. The library accepts JPEG, PNG, WebP, and SVG images, MP4 and WebM videos, and documents as PDF, Word, PowerPoint, or Excel.
- The Player Lite plays video up to Full HD. A higher resolution only makes the file larger.
- Text in a video is only readable if it stays on screen long enough. Calm motion works better than fast cuts.
What follows
- Create scenes in the aspect ratio of the display, and set the orientation on displays mounted upright.
- Check content on the real TV from the real distance before you roll it out.
- For prices, opening hours, and other information where nothing may be cut off, choose Show everything on the display.
- Start from a template in the right format and replace its text and images.
Related
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