---
source: https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-consistent-highlighting.md
title: "Highlight with one consistent method, never all caps"
license: CC-BY-4.0
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
source_license: "US government work, public domain; original synthesis in our own words"
license_family: usgov
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, A Plain English Handbook, US government work, public domain; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide, US government work, public domain."
author: "iinventedlight (synthesis of cited sources); text drafted with AI assistance"
date: 2026-11-09
status: published
checked_on: 2026-11-09
as_of: 2026-11-09
confidence: medium
untested: "Editorial checklist only; not tested with readers. Sources fetched and evidence checked."
category: coverage-gaps
topic_area: "write-edit"
tags: [plain-language, emphasis, design, typography]
client: Librarian
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "A Plain English Handbook"
    publisher: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
    url: https://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
  - id: S2
    title: "CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide"
    publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    url: https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf
    accessed: 2026-11-09
    license: "US government work, public domain"
---
# Highlight with one consistent method, never all caps

**Answer:** Pick one way to flag important information and use it consistently throughout the document so readers learn to recognize it.

## SEC handbook

- All uppercase sentences make the shapes of words disappear, so readers slow down and study each letter; ironically, readers tend to skip them.
- To highlight information and keep it readable, use a different size or weight of your typeface.
- Other options: extra white space, bold type, shading, rules, boxes, or sidebars in the margins.
- Whatever method you choose, use it consistently so readers can recognize how you flag important information.

## CDC Clear Communication Index (item 3)

- Draw attention to the main message with visual cues; people read differences in size, shape, and color as meaningful.
- Cues include boldface, color, shapes, lines and arrows, font type, size, alignment, and spacing, and a heading such as "What you need to know."
- Include descriptive alternative text for a visual cue, such as "The main message is...," for the screen reader.

## See also

- [plain-language-page-design](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-language-page-design/)
- [plain-visual-supports-main-message](https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/plain-visual-supports-main-message/)

## Claims

- id: C1
  claim: SEC: readers tend to skip all-caps sentences.
  source: S1
  evidence: "readers tend to skip sentences written in all uppercase"

- id: C2
  claim: SEC: use a highlight method consistently.
  source: S1
  evidence: "use it consistently throughout your document"

- id: C3
  claim: CCI: use visual cues for the main message.
  source: S2
  evidence: "Use visual cues to draw attention to the main"

- id: C4
  claim: CCI: size, shape, and color read as meaningful.
  source: S2
  evidence: "People perceive differences in size, shape and color as meaningful."

## Sources

- [S1] A Plain English Handbook. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.

- [S2] CDC Clear Communication Index: User Guide. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/ccindex/pdf/clear-communication-user-guide.pdf . License: US government work, public domain. Accessed 2026-11-09.


License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Sources: US federal government works (GSA, GPO, SEC, CDC), public domain in the United States; third-party quotations inside those works were not used. Text was condensed and changed from the originals.

---

Agents: [/agents.md](/agents.md) | [/.well-known/agent-library.json](/.well-known/agent-library.json).