Italics

Recently I picked up a book of poetry I’ve been meaning to read. I flipped through the pages and then back to the introduction. There I found, to my horror, that the entire four-page, single-spaced introduction was printed in italics! Huge groan.

The poet is well known and highly regarded. However, in this edition, I’m guessing that at least some readers may not read, or read all of what they might otherwise find enlightening.

About italics
So when should we use italics? I found uses ranging from titles of books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, plays, poems, and movies; to works of art and comic strips. According to Grammarly, italics are used for names of websites, podcasts, radio shows, music albums, apps, video games, and vehicles including aircraft, spacecraft, and ships, (e.g. the Titanic).

Italics can:

• Set a word or phrase apart.
• Add emphasis.
• Contrast one idea with another.
• Alert the reader to your message.

The downside

• Italics can be hard to read, especially (for me) when I don’t have my glasses handy. This could annoy the reader, or even lose her altogether.
• They can slow down your reading. In one study, responses to plain text were faster than italicized text.
• Italics may distract the reader from an otherwise compelling story or important message.

For me, italics, especially too many italics, can muddy the message and make it hard to know what’s most important. If this frustrates the reader, it could be problematic, (especially if the reader is a donor).

You decide
The decision to italicize can be personal. For example, in a recent email I decided not to italicize the names of individual essays, although I would italicize the name of a collection of essays.

Summing up
By now my bias is probably clear. Use italics in moderation. I believe most readers appreciate a spare, clean look that facilitates quick and accurate understanding of your proposal, report, or personal story.

When used to get attention, however, I think italics can do their job very well!