linesshort

Linesshort is a typographic concept that refers to the intentional shortening of individual lines within a block of text to improve readability and visual balance. The idea emphasizes controlling line length rather than leaving it to automatic text wrapping, particularly in narrow columns, small screens, or dense layouts.

The term emerged in contemporary design discourse as designers sought ways to maintain comfortable line lengths without excessive justification or ragged edges. It is not a formal standard or specification, but a descriptive label used to discuss strategies for line-length management across print and digital media.

Common practices associated with linesshort include setting column widths or text blocks to keep lines within a target range, using responsive line breaks, and applying soft hyphenation or discretionary hyphenation to prevent overly long or short lines. Typical targets are roughly 50–75 characters per line, depending on font, measure, and reading context. Designers may also adjust font size, measure, and margins to achieve the desired effect.

Digital implementations often rely on CSS techniques such as setting max-width on text containers, using CSS columns or grid layout to control measure, enabling hyphenation, and fine-tuning line-height to preserve rhythm. In print, linesshort can be achieved through column width, margins, and newspaper-style measures that produce uniform line lengths.

Criticism of the concept notes that rigidly enforcing line-length targets can degrade natural rhythm or create awkward breaks. Proponents argue that a flexible approach—prioritizing comfortable range while preserving semantics—yields more legible layouts across devices. See also line length, readability, typography, responsive design.