italic-and-emphasis

name	italic-and-emphasis
description	Use when emphasizing text. Italic > bold for emphasis (less disruptive). Use bold for keywords, italic for context.

Italic and Emphasis

Italic for emphasis (foreign terms, citations, intentional voice). Bold for keyword scanning (table cells, ingredient lists). Don't mix loosely.

When italic

1. Foreign terms ('a priori', 'sotto voce')
2. Book/film/album titles
3. Subtle emphasis ('that_, however, depends')
4. Citations and quotes from sources
5. Authorial voice break ('—she meant well')

When bold

1. Keywords readers might scan for ('centering', 'surface')
2. Table cell emphasis (key data point)
3. Strong verbal stress ('NEVER do this')
4. Critical warnings ('This is irreversible')
5. Heading emphasis (within a heading)

Common mistakes

1. Bolding entire sentences (defeats purpose)
2. Italicizing for design only, no semantic reason
3. Mixing italic and bold for same emphasis (pick one)
4. Using underline on web (looks like link)
5. Using color for emphasis (poor accessibility)

Where this fits in the X3 empire

Editorial emphasis rules for CardPrepAI content.