The larger the type, the better. That seems like a pretty good motto to stand by when visualising and developing tablet layouts for digital magazines.

Type render leaves a lot to be desired. Obviously as tablets increase their base resolutions past a 1:1 ratio we will see the difference in clarity that the iPhone 4 displays over its predecessors. Even using basic eReader applications, such as iBooks, you will see that the type does appear 'fuzzy' and not as crisp as when viewed on a retina screen. It isn't that the type isn't anti-aliased, it's the fact that the screen resolution can not display the pixels required.

iBooks type render example

But what can we do until these 'HD' tablets are available? As always, but even more so in this case, content is king. Tailoring or using scrolling fields will allow the base type size to be larger without impacting layout decisions. I am finding a good base font size is 14px, sticking to a regular or medium style, allowing a fair amount of leading to aid readability, works well.

Keeping a good level of contrast is also key. White type, too small, or rendered using a light weight will become washed out on high density backgrounds. In many instances an easier way to render this type would be to embed it as part of your background image.

Another issue, which is common when designing for digital delivery, is that #000 type will magnify the font render issues when compared to a greyscale alternative. Sticking to a font colour such as #333 will disguise a certain amount of the render artefacts.

When the rumoured iPad 3 emerges it will almost certainly feature a true HD screen resolution which will, in turn, be the answer to achieving optimum font render and clarity.