Flush Left, Baby

The goal is to make your memos, emails, and instructions easy-to-read, easy-to-follow, and logical. You want people to be able to translate your written word into action. Therefore, you want to make sure your copy is FLUSH LEFT. No matter what it is, it's going to read easier if you format it flush left. 

Lately people have been doing center formatting. Unless it's advertising copy or a sign advising that the sidewalk is icy, center formatting is not effective.

Center:

Hospital Visiting Hours: Please remember that our patients are here to rest. Our Patient Quiet Time begins at 7:30pm. Thank you for your cooperation.

Flush Left (and de-verbaged):
Hospital Visiting Hours: Patient Quiet Time begins at 7:30pm. Nurses and aids, please clear visitors out at this time. Thank you.

(c)2014 Suzann Kale

Tags: formatting, business writing, editing, proofreading, technical writing