Abstract
The paper introduces an experimental study aimed at understanding if and how typography and font
design can influence or help dyslexic subjects with reading tasks. Exploring and comparing the state
of the art both in font design and in previous studies already conducted in the field, the study
investigates three aspects: i) whether the font utilised in the layout influences reading performance; ii)
whether adopting font families intentionally designed for dyslexic subjects helps them to better
perceive and understand texts; and iii) whether digital devices compared to printed paper reveal
different reading performances. The experiment involved both dyslexic and non-dyslexic subjects and
focused on the ability of users to recognise words and no-meaning words. Eight different fonts were
tested in order to conduct a comparison between fonts traditionally considered good: Times New
Roman, Simoncini Garamond, Verdana, Futura, Comic Sans, OpenDyslexic, EasyReading and
Biancoenero. The last three fonts have been intentionally designed and optimised for people affected
by dyslexia; there are two sans-serifs with a low legibility rate, two classic serifs, and a handwriting
font. Tests have been presented both on paper and on a digital display according to measurable
parameters: speed and accuracy