typelengtewaarde

Typelengtewaarde is a term from typography that refers to the horizontal measure of a block of running text—the line length or measure. It can be expressed in physical units such as millimeters, inches, or points, in typographic units such as ems or picas, and in digital contexts as the number of characters per line (CPL).

The typelengtewaarde has a significant impact on readability. Lines that are too short can feel choppy and disrupt the reading rhythm, while lines that are too long can make it difficult to return to the start of the next line. Practical guidelines commonly suggest a measure in the range of about 50 to 75 characters per line, with an oft-cited ideal around 60–66 CPL for Latin-script texts, depending on font and language.

Determination of the measure depends on several factors. In print, it is controlled by page width, margins, column width, and the chosen font size and typeface. In digital design, it is determined by the text container width, column grids, and responsive constraints, and may be expressed or adjusted as a target measure to maintain readable line lengths across devices.

The typelengtewaarde interacts with other typographic quantities such as line height (leading), letter spacing, and font metrics. Adjusting the measure can improve readability and visual comfort, and is a core consideration in both editorial layout and responsive web design. The term is used primarily in Dutch typography to describe this essential aspect of text layout.