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• '2/10/19' should be written out as '2 October 2019'
• similarly, year periods must not use forward slashes but use the word 'to': thus 2019/20 must be written out as '2019 to 2020'

Figures/chart title

Every table or graph needs a figures/chart title. Write one then apply the style from the style menu.

Figures/chart titles should consist of only one sentence with no full stop at the end.

Use the paragraph functionality to add a space of 6pt under the title. This makes it more readable/accessible.

First highlight the title text, then:

1. On the Home tab click the small black arrow by the Paragraph group to open the Paragraph dialogue box.
2. In the Spacing section, set the After field to 6pt.
3. Click OK and this will insert a 6pt gap between title and graph or table.

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Flow charts

Flow charts need a detailed and literal text equivalent of every step of the process, all the questions and all the answers. A simple summary, or pointing to the data somewhere else, isn’t enough.

UKHSA's Fetal anomaly screening: care pathways page has several good examples of flow charts accompanied by text alternatives.

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The full written transcript of a flow chart can either be within a PDF:

• Brucella reference unit (BRU): managing laboratory exposure

Or as a separate HTML attachment:

• Sexual health: variation in outcomes and inequalities
• GUMCAD: clinical guidelines

Footnotes

Use superscript numbers¹. The footnote text should be in 10 point font.

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Replace forward slashes with ‘to’. Thus 2019/20 or 2019/20 2020 should both be written in full as ‘2019 to 2020’.

Properties/metadata (File > Advanced Properties)

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Keep tables as simple as possible.

Do not use colour anywhere in the table except the lightest grey in the header row.

Make all margins / borders visible using the Borders dropdown on the Home tab.

Format the table in Layout > Table properties > Table tab. Make the left and right cell margins 0.15cm.

Note: make sure the Top field is set to 0 cm. Having any value in this field is a prime cause for lines in a table disappearing when you convert it to PDF.

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To space the text and let it breathe, go to the Home tab, click the small arrow in the Paragraph group to open the Paragraph dialogue box. Se the spacing before and after to 2pt. This is enough to separate the text from cell borders and so make the table easier to read.

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