Widecolumns

Widecolumns is a design concept used in typography, publishing, and web design to describe a layout where content is organized into two or more vertical columns with relatively wide line lengths. The approach aims to balance efficient use of horizontal space with the need for readable text, particularly on wide displays or large screens.

In practice widecolumns are implemented using modern CSS techniques, such as multi-column layout (column-count, column-width) or grid and flexbox arrangements that span multiple columns. On desktop or tablet widths, sites may render two or three columns side by side, while on smaller screens the layout collapses to fewer columns or a single column via responsive breakpoints.

Readability considerations include line length, measure, and rhythm. Columns that are too wide can impair eye movement and increase reader fatigue, while too-narrow columns can cause excessive hyphenation and scrolling. Designers balance column width, column gap, font size, and line height to maintain comfortable measures and consistent vertical rhythm. Accessibility concerns also consider high contrast, sufficient focus indicators, and avoiding column breaks that disrupt logical reading order.

Common use cases include editorial sites, reference documentation, wikis, and dashboards where supporting content such as figures, sidebars, or code blocks benefits from adjacent columns. Widecolumns are less common for narrative fiction and other long-form prose where single-column readability is preferred.

Related terms include multi-column layout, measure, and responsive design. While not a universal default, widecolumns remain a flexible option for organizing extensive text and auxiliary material on wide screens, provided that typography and accessibility are kept in focus.