Bold Text

Use bold text conservatively, reserving it primarily for headings or other points requiring emphasis. Over-use of bold diminishes its effectiveness.

Check 

Boxes

Unless there is an overwhelming reason to vary, check boxes work best when placed immediately to the left of each choice, especially in a list.

Dates

Always identify which date is to be entered, e.g. "Today's Date" or "Date of Order" or "Effective Date" or whatever date is requested. Reason: There are often several dates on the same form. It's easy to confuse which is which without clear caption identifiers.

Field Size

The field length ideally should reflect adequate space for entry of the specified variable data and should not be controlled arbitrarily by the length of the caption.

Font Selection

Choose fonts that are easy to read. Captions work best with sans serif fonts (no "feet" on the letters). Serif fonts are sometimes useful for large amounts of text. (It is thought that the serifs help move the eye along the line.)

Form Number 

and Edition Date

Form numbers should ideally contain a minimum of four (4) digits, contain no “significant” characters and be followed immediately by the edition date using a mm/yyyy format. The best position for these two related elements is in the lower left corner of the form.

Forms 

Captions

The preferred position is the upper left corner caption. Captions followed by blank lines and captions below the writing line can confuse the form filler.

Instructions

Locate the form completion instructions as near to the field requiring explanation as possible. Directions located at the top of the form, or at the bottom of the form or on the back of a paper form are easily ignored and are, therefore, usually ineffective.

Plain 

Language

Whenever possible, avoid techno-jargon or other hard- to-understand terminology. Use clear, simple words and phrases to define captions and instructions.

Radio Buttons

Similar to checkboxes, radio buttons (which indicate mutually-exclusive choices) should be located to the immediate left of the choice whenever possible to avoid confusion. People are accustomed to looking there for them.

Reset eForms

Because people complete forms, they sometimes make mistakes. When designating a form that will be completed via computer, it is often useful to provide a reset button so that data entered incorrectly may be deleted and the filling process restarted.

Text Color

As with bold text, color text should be used very selectively. If everything is red, then there's really no special point of emphasis.

ZIP Code

As an acronym for the U.S. Postal Services's "Zone Improvement Plan," the word ZIP must always be displayed in all capital letters. When written as "Zip" or "zip," it's a verb meaning "to close" or "with vigor."