How Much Longer is a Designed Document Compared to Plain Text?
How much longer do you think a fully designed document is compared to the same content in a basic text-only format? If you take a plain Word document—just the raw text, set in 10pt Calibri on letter-sized pages—and transform it into a well-designed, on-brand booklet (also letter-size), how much does the page count typically increase?
I recently ran a LinkedIn poll on this very question, and here’s how people responded:
📄 About the same length - 7%
📄 1.5x longer - 14%
📄 2-3x longer - 57%
📄 4x or more - 21%
The majority of respondents—57%—said a designed document is typically 2-3 times longer than its plain text counterpart. That lines up with my own experience designing research reports, strategic planning documents, annual reports, and policy briefs.
Why Does Design Add Pages?
A well-designed document isn’t just about making things look pretty—it’s about enhancing readability, guiding the reader’s eye, and reinforcing branding. Here are some key reasons why the page count tends to increase:
White Space & Readability – Cramming text onto a page might save space, but it’s not reader-friendly. Adding margins, padding, and breathing room makes content easier to digest.
Hierarchy & Structure – Proper use of headings, subheadings, callouts, and section breaks improves navigation but also takes up space.
Visual Elements – Infographics, charts, images, and pull quotes break up dense content and communicate information more effectively.
Typography & Layout Adjustments – Switching from a basic 10pt Calibri document with default margins to a professional layout with customized typography and spacing naturally expands content.
Planning for Page Count
Understanding this expansion is crucial for planning your document’s content. If you’re aiming for a final designed document of around 24 pages, you should plan for no more than 12 pages of plain text. This helps ensure your content remains well-structured and visually engaging without unintended bloat.
Additionally, if your document is being printed using a saddle stitch (stapled booklet) format, keep in mind that the total page count must be in multiples of 8. This is important when planning layout and content distribution to avoid blank pages or unnecessary adjustments later in the design process.
Understanding this expansion is crucial for planning your document’s content. If you’re aiming for a final designed document of around 24 pages, you should plan for no more than 12 pages of plain text. This helps ensure your content remains well-structured and visually engaging without unintended bloat.
Finding the Right Balance
For clients who prefer a more concise, copy-focused approach, a 1.5x increase is possible with a more Spartan layout. But if the goal is an engaging, reader-friendly experience, the sweet spot is usually 2-3x the original page count.
It’s worth noting that some of the folks who voted for 4x or more were actually web designers. For the type of design they do—where content is often broken up into separate pages, sections, and interactive elements—this is pretty accurate. However, in this case, I’m strictly referring to print or PDF documents, where the design approach follows a different set of considerations.
