This comic lettering checklist turns a subjective “does it look right?” review into six separate passes: script, hierarchy, route, voice, accessibility, and production. Copy it into a document or issue tracker and record the page and panel beside every problem.

Copyable checklist

PROJECT
[ ] Delivery format and dimensions are confirmed
[ ] Reading direction is documented
[ ] Font licenses cover the intended use
[ ] Required language glyphs and punctuation are tested
[ ] Dialogue, caption, display, and SFX styles are defined

SCRIPT
[ ] Speaker names and text IDs are stable
[ ] Dialogue does not repeat visible action
[ ] Names, terminology, and continuity are consistent
[ ] Interruptions and trailing speech are distinguished
[ ] Translation is approved before final shaping

ROUTE
[ ] Balloons have one unambiguous reading order
[ ] Each tail points to the correct speaker or source
[ ] Tails do not cross
[ ] Off-panel and transmitted voices are identifiable
[ ] SFX appears at the intended moment

SHAPE AND VOICE
[ ] Text blocks fit their balloons with balanced space
[ ] No word is stranded or hyphenated unnecessarily
[ ] Special balloon styles have a defined meaning
[ ] Emphasis is selective and consistent
[ ] Captions can be classified without relying on color alone

ART AND ACCESSIBILITY
[ ] Faces, gestures, clues, and essential action remain visible
[ ] Dialogue is readable at final print size
[ ] Dialogue is readable at target phone width
[ ] Contrast survives grayscale review
[ ] Essential dialogue and SFX exist in a transcript or text layer
[ ] Panel descriptions identify speakers and meaningful sounds

PRODUCTION
[ ] Text is inside trim and safe areas
[ ] No balloon, letter, or tail is clipped
[ ] Links and interactive text work in digital delivery
[ ] Final export uses the required color space and resolution
[ ] A fresh reader completed the route test
[ ] Copy, route, and production proofs were run separately

Use a defect log, not memory

Add four columns beside the checklist:

Page/Panel | Problem | Owner | Status
P04-03 | Tail points between both speakers | Letterer | Open
P08-01 | Turkish ğ missing from display font | Designer | Fixed

Stable panel IDs make feedback usable even when pages move. If a revision changes the art or dialogue, reopen the route and real-size checks for that panel.

Run the passes in order

Do not begin with export settings while the dialogue is still changing.

  1. Script pass: meaning, voice, spelling, translation, and continuity.
  2. Hierarchy pass: dialogue, captions, display type, and SFX remain distinct.
  3. Route pass: panels, balloons, and speakers follow one readable path.
  4. Voice pass: visual treatment expresses tone consistently.
  5. Accessibility pass: size, contrast, transcripts, and descriptions.
  6. Production pass: trim, clipping, resolution, and delivery behavior.

The complete comic lettering guide explains each pass. Use the speech balloon placement guide when a route or tail fails.

Add a real-size proof strip

Export three representative panels:

  • the densest conversation;
  • the smallest lettering;
  • the busiest sound effect.

Place them at intended print size on one sheet and at target width on a phone. Do not zoom during the first read. Record the first point where you hesitate, misidentify a speaker, or reread a line.

For web text that accompanies a comic, the W3C text-spacing guidance says user spacing changes should not cause clipping, overlap, or lost functionality. Test transcripts and accessible reading views with increased spacing as well as the flattened art.

A two-person review method

The creator checks intent; a fresh reader checks evidence. Give the reader no script and ask:

  1. Who speaks first?
  2. Who speaks every balloon?
  3. What sound matters to the plot?
  4. Where did the reading route become uncertain?
  5. Which text was difficult at normal size?

Do not explain the intended answer during the test. The gap between intent and the reader's answer is the revision list.

Create, then review, an original comic

Use ComicPix to turn your own premise and character reference into a multi-page comic, then duplicate this checklist for the project. A structured review helps you improve dialogue clarity and sound design before you share the story.

Open ComicPix on the App Store or get ComicPix on Google Play.

Reference sources