DiamondCentric Basic Style Guide For Writers

Clearing Formatting

After pasting your content into the CMS, always be sure to clear formatting or at least confirm that there is no formatting in your text. If the text has carry-over format, it breaks dark mode and makes your work unreadable to a significant portion of our readers.

To clear formatting, select all and click the Tx button in the CMS toolbar.

To check existing formatting, click Source in the CMS toolbar. This displays the underlying HTML of the article and if there is any reference to “background:”, “font-”, or “color:”, those need to be removed from the story before it is published.

No Underlines

It’s best to avoid underlining copy unless you have a specific reason to do so. Internet UIX over the decades has taught users to identify underlined text as a clickable link. Avoid underlining copy unless you have a really good reason to do so and these situations are few and far between.

Use Headers To Begin Section of Text (no more Shift+Enter)

Section Header: Heading 2

If your content has major sections you wish to delineate, this is the header to use between sub-sections. The Heading option can be found at the top right of the toolbar on desktop, in the drop-down menu that reads "Normal" by default. Never use Shift+Enter after this style of heading.

Subsection Header: Heading 3

This style of header is used rarely and generally, only when you need both a section header and a sub-section header. Never use Shift+Enter after this style of heading.

Formatting & Sizing

By default, all standard copy is 16px. Do not change the size of the body copy, ever.

Shift+Enter
While we don’t use this often anymore, it’s still useful in specific cases. Shift+Enter removes the paragraph break between lines, creating a visual link between grouped copy; additionally, this deters our ad system from inserting ads between related pieces of content.

Avoid Italicizing Lines of Text

Italics are good for emphasis but are less readable and therefore less accessible than standard fonts. Particularly when referencing an entire stat line, subheader, or multiple words of text, it’s better for readability and avoid using italics for anything other than emphasizing a word or two in the middle of a sentence.

Line Breaks

If you wish to visually break up major sections of your content, we offer a line break (a thin horizontal line that extends across the content). To use a line break, use a carriage return and click the <-> button in the CMS toolbar.

Bullets & Number Lists

We recommend using bullet/number lists when displaying listed content, and we have no preference for bullets or numbers, use what makes the most sense for your content. The major point to remember is to use shift+enter between list content, otherwise it stretches out the content, and our ad system is more likely to insert ads between your listed items, which decreases readability.

Remove Additional Spaces & Embedding Media

After you’re done with everything else, check to make sure there are no carriage returns at the end of your content.

When embedding media like a tweet, do not use enter and then add it to a clean line. This often adds an additional return in the middle of your content.

The way to add a Tweet safely is to string it at the end of the final sentence of a paragraph, like this. https://twitter.com/user/tweet