The Optimal Text Layout is More Than Line Length

Like many of us, I have read a lot of articles containing endless bullet points about how to improve a Web site’s usability. Unfortunately I rarely come across a post bringing up text layout or typography (heck, I even forgot about it in my previous posts) and when it does it seems to be limited to the optimal line length. Is readability, and therefore text layout, condemned to merely an amount of characters or words on a line of text?

If content truly is king, all aspects of text layout (and not just line length) should be treated with the utmost respect.