Centering the type- When and when not to?

When it comes to typesetting, using centered form is not something you should shun away from. However being able to judge the time and place for it is important.  Embracing centered type can challenge the rhythm of a reading pattern, especially when the rest of contents are aligned to left. Appropriateness of centered type is determined by the specific situations. Have a look on few of them.

When to use?

• For the headlines for large chunk of text, most typesetting companies prefer using centered style. It is ideal for white papers and research documents with a lot of texts and paragraphs. 
• Another important tip is to use centered type for headings above layouts with multiple columns. This is one of the best ways in such situations to show that the concerned heading is for everything below.
• Professional typesetting service providers insist using this kind of alignment in certain situations when there are multiple short lines, say, in case of posters, invitations and greeting cards etc. As there is only a little text, they can be easily shifted to middle.

When not to use?

• Using this style will seem weird with small and short subheads. It is always better to keep it shifted towards left itself.
• Texts aligned in bullets are already hanging and indented. So, it is better to avoid altering alignment in any way as it will not look properly spaced.
• When you decide to use centered type, ask yourself the purpose. Don’t simply go for it without any good reason.

In most of the cases, the reader’s flow is hindered when this style is used. So, use it if and only if you have a proper purpose. Knowing typesetting basics is really important before you proceed. If you find it uncomfortable to typeset by yourself, a lot of companies offering typesetting services, select the best among them and they will provide great results for you.